The White Titans
by klmagz
Summary: AU. Joker is accepted to the best Citadel training Academy. Captain Shepard and her team are the best battle crew, The White Titans. But who is Captain Shepard really? She is shrouded in mystery because of the helmet she always wears. And there is Nora, she is beautiful, but is keeping secret from him. Joker knows she is special. Can Joker prove himself by joining the Titans?
1. Chapter 1

_I don't own anything Bioware owns.._

"Jeez, Hills! Can you at least try to be cool?"

"Oh come ON! You are already late to your orientation!"

"I am coming! Why are you even here? You should have stayed with Mom- you know she is going to flip when she realizes that you aren't still following her…" Joker glanced up as he passed through the large gates- a metaphor of entering a new opportunity filled life.

"Aww…Please Jeff! I have to come with you! The Titans might be here! Shepard might be here! I have to see them! Please, please, please!"

"Wha…who are….Ugh, fine. But try to calm down … and don't wander off!"

To Jeff "Joker" Moreau being accepted the Citadel Intergalactic Training Academy, or CITA as it was commonly shortened to, was nothing short of a dream come true. CITA contained the best of the best. Designed by the Citadel council only 30 years ago, only the best were accepted, and came out true fighters for justice and peace. Each recruit was to join a branch by the end of their first year- whether it was in a defensive team, an infiltration team, a medical team, or a piloting team- like Joker. There were smaller branches, but Joker only knew of the bigger ones. If recruits were skilled and very lucky, they were picked up quickly by crews that worked together in competitions against each other. This was going to be his chance to show everyone who ever doubted him, denied him, or pitied him because of his legs that he was just as good and even better that any other recruit pilots the galaxy could hope to find. He had plenty of time to watch action vids while recovering from layer after layer of surgery to repair fractures and splintering in the bones of his legs and ever since watching those, along with the news vids of hero pilots flying their crews into the line of fire and out unscathed, and single-handedly saving the day, Joker wanted a chance to have that life. And now he had it, crutches and all. The best way to prove himself was to be accepted into a crew.

But first he had to get through orientation.

As he made his way to the large main rotunda, Joker realized just how big CITA's campus is and he let out a low whistle. _'This place is impressive'_ he admitted, contemplating how he was going to find his classes and get there on time. _'How am I going to find Hilary?'_ The main rotunda was the front of the Academy. Passed it, in the center of the enormous campus was a coliseum of sorts that was bigger than any stadium Joker had seen before. A complicated network of halls, classrooms, training centers, and offices spider-webbed all around it, paying tribute to the importance of any affairs that took place there. A few members of other species meandered through the halls, 'recruits off to find their classrooms' he assumed. Drawing closer, Joker could hear a cacophony of voices, music, and other noises blaring together into an unceremonious uproar. As he finally reached the top of the stairs, which is harder than it looks with crutches and very breakable bones, he almost collided with a girl about his age that was running out the doors not looking forward.

"Hey, watch the arm!" he growled when she threw him off balance and knocked one of his crutches from his hand.

"Oh!" she squeaked, turning to face him. "I am so sorry!"

Joker's remark caught in his throat. Meeting his gaze was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Her eyes were the kind of blue that you only see in the vids and magazines, that had been altered to almost glow. But this was not a vid, and yet here she was. Sharp cheekbones that Joker felt a strange desire to test with his thumbs connected thick pale blond hair he felt a desire to run his hands through, and a small nose, that might seem too small, but somehow just felt right to him. Full lips measured out in worry, and he realized his sharp yelp came out grumpier than he meant it to, and she had apologized and was now holding out his left crutch to him. He had also been staring.

"Well…um…I am sorry… and I guess I will see you arou-"she had leaned the crutch against the door and turned to leave.

"No, wait!" he interrupted, "I…uh…I am Jeff Moreau- Joker!-" he took a breath. "My name is Joker" He held out his hand.

She smiled the brightest smile he had ever seen and took his hand gently, "It is nice to meet you, Joker"

"Do you student…I mean, are you a student here?" he cringed. What was it about this girl that made him stumble over his own tongue? ' _Do I sound as dumb out loud as I do in my head?'_

She smiled again, a grin this time, and replied "I do, and I am"

' _Was she messing with him? Well he could play this game well'_ "Aren't you a little young and small to be a returning student here?" he smiled wryly and folded his arms over his balanced crutches. The look of shock and insult was instantly upon her face. ' _Jeez!'_

"Oh, Crap! Hey Blondie, man, it was just a joke- I am sorry! I just-" Joker stopped when she started to giggle and lightly laid a hand over his mouth.

"Relax _, Joker_. I am just as old as you- I had special circumstances that allowed me to come here for the last two years. And as to my size, well, I think I will be okay" she winked at him before removing her hand.

"Um..." he couldn't think of anything to reply to her. She had touched him and he didn't even pull away from her. Ever since the surgeries began, he would cringe away from the smallest touch- even from his family on occasion. There was just too big a risk of breaking something.

"I have to go, but I will see you at the schedule booths later, or in class. If not, I might look you up… Jeff Moreau a.k.a Joker" She turned to leave and was almost halfway down before he realized something.

"Hey! Hey Blondie!" She turned but kept walking backwards slowly down the stairs. "Who are you? Or what's your… I mean, I don't know your name."

With the same bright smile that caught him breathless and her blue eyes shining she answered him.

"My name's Nora" And with that she was gone.

A sea of Asari, Turians, Krogan, Drell, humans, and even Batarians and Quarians rolled over the many booths and stages set up inside the colossus rotunda. It looked almost like one of the carnivals they used to have in Tiptree, the way the colors, smells, and voices merged together. ' _Just without the other species'._ It amazed him how all these species could be together without fighting. However, before he could finish the thought, right in front of him a group of Turians- recruits it seemed- walked passed a Krogan, red scaled with jagged scars on the right side of his face. ' _Jeez…_ ' Joker thought the scars made him look angry and deadly, and when he growled at them Joker knew that if it weren't for his crutches, he would have taken of running like a child. ' _I guess I spoke too soon…._ ' Apparently, the Krogan took whatever it is they were talking about as a personal insult and started to pick a fight with them. They were obviously not expecting to be heard and just as it started to escalade into something that Joker knew would end in blood, a sharp flanging voice came through the wall of people that had crowded around to watch.

"Wrex!"

What followed the voice through the crowd was the strangest thing that Joker had seen that day. A tall Turian pushed through two human men that watching, followed by one of the smallest Quarians he had ever seen- although it might have been the juxtaposition of the Turian's thin but muscled, giant frame (and his lack of experience around the Quarian race). The Turian's grey plates shined in the lighting of the large room, he wore a visor across one eye, with bold blue markings that Joker knew to be clan markings. ' _a returning student_ ' Joker assumed- knowing that the clan markings meant that he had entered the military like most Turians do on their home planet and then completed at least a year here in the Academy. He seemed strong and had an authority in his err. The Quarian, on the other hand, seemed to almost to cower under the hard glare of the large scarred Krogan. Her hands fidgeted together and she sidestepped to be slightly behind the Turian. _'She must be newly recruited_ ' The strangeness about them came from the stark white battle armor. While the Turian was clad in white plated armor that seemed specifically designed for him, the Quarian held in her arms a white suit like the purple one she was already wearing. It was folded up as if it was new. It seemed to glow in contrast to the dark purple suit that covered her whole body and face. No other people Joker could see were dressed in armor of any kind (he himself was in jeans, a dark t-shirt, and an Academy ball cap) and he wondered why they were decked out ready for war. He was interrupted in his musings by the Krogan's booming voice.

"Stay out of this _Turian_!"

"Shepard said no fights, _Krogan_ " he sneered in return.

"These weakfisted Turian scum insult the Captain! Shepard is the Battlemaster of the clan, _our_ clan. My blood will not let their words pass unchallenged and unpunished, and neither should yours."

At this one of the unlucky Turian recruits decided to open his mouth, and, in Joker's opinion, shove his foot in it.

"We were just talking about the chances that the _White Titans_ " this he sneered with so much distain that even Joker, who had no idea what was going on, was getting defensive, "will win three years in a row. It must be fixed or something, right? No team has ever won more than once- not to mention they are a weak multi-species group of misfits- like this tiny suit-dweller" he said gesturing to the Quarian "AND it is lead by a xeno-sympathetic weakling huma-"At this, the Turian was silenced by a white very large and very sharp three fingered glove clamping dangerously tight around his throat. The Turian leaned in close to his face, and a hushed silence came over everyone who was watching the altercation. He talked in a low, angry but controlled voice, the Turian harmonics vibrating heavily even through Joker's human ears.

"Careful what you say, Clanless, Shepard does not accept or take lightly to disobeyed orders, but if you speak ill again of the Captain or the White Titans, the Krogan and I will be finished with you before it can really be considered a 'fight.'" At this the scarred Krogan called Wrex pounded his fists together most violently in agreement. The silence in the near crowd was palpable, but just then the large armor clad Turian's omnitool alarmed and he put his free had up to his ear and talk to whoever was calling him. The tension relieved enough that Joker tore his eyes away to look around him and was surprised to see his sister to his right, eyes big and watching the altercation with as much attention as he had been just a moment ago.

"Hils-"

"Shushhh…" she exclaimed, pointing back to the center of everyone's attention. Joker looked back just in time to see the large armor clad Turian shove the other with enough force to send him sprawled out on the floor gasping for breath.

"Let's go. Shepard needs us to be dressed and ready for opening ceremonies."

The Turian lead the Krogan and the Quarian away through the dispersing crowd shooting glares at anyone who kept his glance too long. Joker looked back at Hilary and both of them laughed, more in relief than anything funny.

"Well, they seemed friendly." He said dryly.

"Jeff! Don't you know who they are? They are part of the White Titans! The best crew in CITA! They haven't lost a match they have fought in for two years!"

"So?"

" _So…_ They are amazing! Their technique working together is flawless, Captain Shepard's leadership is divinely inspired, and they only add recruits when the Captain has personally decided that the recruit is the best of their kind! Oh my goodness, Captain Shepard is so great! Did you know that nobody but Shepard's crew is allowed to be there when the helmet comes off? Shepard uses it to stay anonymous during school hours to have a sense of normalcy. Nobody even knows Shepard's first name! How cool and humble is that?" Joker let out a scoff. ' _She probably just has a crush on him or something.'_ He thought ' _They are only students just like the rest of us. Why should I care? I don't even know anything about this Shepard.'_ Joker realized that he didn't even know what species he was. He must be tough, to have at least four different species following him with the kind of loyalty that was just shown in the rotunda.

Joker started towards the coliseum in the middle of campus. He assumed it was where the Headmaster and his advisors would make their opening remarks. He was right. Joker sat low in the uncomfortable seats that wreaked havoc on his hips and lower back. Headmaster Udina was, in Hilary's words, a dry crusty man. Joker drifted off- thinking about drive cores and what it would be like to pilot a top grade warship. What it would feel like to pass through a relay, to feel the freedom of space in his fingertips. What if Nora was with him?

"Jeff! LOOK! IT'S THEM!"

Joker awoke from his mulling to see what Hilary was pointing at. During his daydreaming, the advisors had spoken and finished, and the crews were being presented to the new recruits. Already on the stage were numerous groups of armored students. Krogan, Batarians, Drell, Asari, Humans, and a few Quarians stood proudly along the stage. Joker had never seen so many types of armor adorned with specifications to each warriors needs. Each crew was donned in a different color; with symbols or names painted on their armor to match what Joker could only assume were their battle names. Each group seemed different, almost all containing only one species with a few containing two or three. ' _These must be the ground crews'_ Joker thought, after he realized that the engineers, medics, and pilots were not present for each crew. He wondered if they would be more diversified. The crew stepping up the stage next was receiving the loudest cheers, and Joker almost couldn't hear the voice naming off the members.

"And now introducing, the two time championship team, returning from tour, you better know who they are! Give it up for … THE WHITE TITANS!" A crashing uproar came over the crowds as a line of soldiers came onto the stage, clad in white armor head to toe.

"From the depths of Sirona of Ursae Majoris and Vancouver on Planet Earth, Ashley 'Gunny' Williams and Kaidan Alenko!" Joker watched in awe as two human forms took their place together on stage with their heads held high "Transferred from the heart of the hard world Tuchanka, Urdnot Wrex a.k.a 'The Tank'" A low roar that could only come from many proud Krogan fans swept through the building. Following them was a Krogan dressed in white armor that had bullet holes and jagged scratches over it, and Joker could only imagine the creature that put them there. "Now, you all know the next undefeated Titan; give it up for the White Titans' second in command, GARRUS 'ARCHANGEL' VAKARIAN!" The loudest cheer yet covered the coliseum, along with the twisting and vibrating feeling in his gut that was the result of a loud collective of Turian subharmonics from the crowds. The feeling of joy and excitement was contagious and Joker had even started to get excited and clap with the rest as much as he could when a Turian took the stage. Joker realized that this "Garrus Vakarian" was the same Turian as before in the rotunda.

At this point the room fell silent, it seemed that everyone knew what was next and could not contain the impatience, all started to whisper in excitement.

"Oh my goodness-"

"And now…"

"Jeff, its Shepard!"

"Put your hands, talons, claws, and tentacles together…"

"Jeff I can see-"

"Okay Hilary!"

"From the tiniest colony of Mindoir in the Attican Traverse, to the Citadel Intergalactic Training Academy, started from the bottom and has risen faster than any before, LEADER OF THE WHITE TITANS, CAPTAIN SHEPARD A.K.A THE PRODIGY!" An expected yet still surprisingly loud roar shook the stadium. It was amazing how much one person could affect so many people. Joker had to cover his ears until the sound died down a bit.

What came next was not what Joker was expecting. Onto the stage walked a small, thin, slightly short, and almost dainty form- even with the shining white academy armor. And even with the helmet, Joker could tell that the tough "manly" Captain Shepard who seemed to command respect from every species… was a human girl.


	2. Chapter 2

After narrowly avoiding a few close calls with shattered shins, Joker was able to follow the crowds out of the coliseum and make his way back slowly to the Rotunda to get his class schedule. Hilary and his mother said their quick goodbyes and left before exiting traffic could get too bad. Finally, Joker was free. He was excited to begin learning more in depth of the necessary pilot courses, and to begin flight Sims and piloting practice. However, as a new recruit, he would have to take general Training courses to learn the fundamentals of the Intergalactic Alliances as well. This meant overlooking history, literature, communications, and all unnecessary wastes of Joker's time. _'all I want to do is fly, why do I need to know all this stuff'_ Luckily, because of Joker's condition, the recruiting reps. from CITA had promised his family and him that no hand-to-hand courses were necessary for his graduation, nor were ground combat courses- although an overlook of them were recommended for him to read over. Joker found all the classes he was to go to and decided to try and find a place to sit down and rest his sore legs.

Now that the formal ceremonies were over, students and new recruits alike were socializing in a large grassy square area between the Rotunda and the Coliseum.

The ground crews, still in their battle armors, were talking to the recruits that seemed like potential talent. As he passed by them, he couldn't help but notice the glares or looks of pity he was being given from them if he lingered too long. It was nothing new to Joker- they were the same looks that he had been getting his whole life. People assume that he is a charity case and not actually worth anything on their teams. Yet he couldn't help but feel disappointed as he sat at an empty bench to eat the food he packed before leaving the apartment on the Citadel. Was being here going to be the same as everywhere else? Nobody approaches the untouchable cripple with the crutches-

"Hey! Hey Joker!"

As he heard his name he jumped, and looked around for Hilary or his mother who he thought had left. _'Maybe I forgot something in the shuttle'_ Realizing who it was calling his name, sitting in the grass underneath a tree, brought a smile to his face. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but not uncomfortable.

"Blondie!" Leaning over waving at him, with the sun shining through the leaves to light up long blond hair that Joker had barely denied the desire to run his fingers through earlier that same day, was Nora. She waved him over and very slowly he stood up from a bench balancing on his crutches and awkwardly moved down to lean on the tree next to her. He internally grimaced at the obvious effort it took for him to even get to her. _'I must look like a useless invalid to her'_ But she didn't seem to notice, she just kept smiling that huge glowing smile that lit up her whole face.

"How do you like campus? Have you gotten your classes? Did you like the opening ceremonies? Do you need anything" she battered him with questions. It sort of reminded him of Hilary, but coming from Nora it was endearing instead of annoying. She was the first person who had talked and looked at him like he was normal guy- not even glancing at the crutches he relied on so much.

"Uh, it's great… and yeah I got my classes..and-"

"Calm down, Nora- the guy's only been here for a few hours. And one can only answer so many questions at once." A flanging voice mixed with subharmonics chucked from her right. Joker only then realized that beside Nora sat a large armored Turian, the same Turian that almost ripped out someone's throat earlier, and was presented as the second in command for the greatest battle crew CITA's ever seen. At the moment he was holding his visor in one taloned hand, with a sharp tool in the other doing some kind of fiddling with the wires.

"Garrus! Don't you have something better to do than boss me around? Maybe some Titan recruiting, or some responsibilities or something?"

"Nope, my Captain gave me no responsibilities until the weekend's scrimmages." He grinned and flicked his mandibles. "So I have as long as I want today to calibrate my visor screen, and to bother you." With this he mussed he hair with the side of the hand that held the tool and she punched him in the arm. Their actions reminded him of his sister and himself, and he wondered what circumstances lead to a Turian and a Human having this kind of relationship. ' _How does a girl like Nora know a huge fighter Turian like Garrus Archangel Vakarian?'_

"Jerk! I should talk to this _Captain_ of yours… maybe convince her to give you extra cleaning duties. Maybe she needs her armor polished." She joked. Joker was surprised that the same Turian who held so much loyalty for Captain Shepard would let Nora joke about her. The Turian let out a breathy noise that Joker could only assume was the equivalent of a scoff and returned to his visor. "Anyway Joker, this big guy here is Garrus Vakarian. Garrus, Joker" At this the Turian gave him a nod, and Joker returned it, but didn't look away from his calibrations. "You were saying?" She looked at him expectantly.

"Um…I have all my advanced piloting courses set up along with the general recruiting crap- I mean classes- and I just came from getting my Sim time booked each week."

"You are a pilot?" she asked, her eyes shining with interest. For some reason Garrus straightened and looked up at this waiting for his reply.

"Yep." He replied swelling with passion. "Flying is all I have. It is all I care about and I am the best. This Academy is my chance to do what I love. I have worked harder than everyone else just to get here I was specially recruited for advanced training. I can make any ship dance better than the Asari on Omega" she arched a thin perfect eyebrow at this "not that I know anything about that, of course" _'open mouth, insert foot'_ Nora and Garrus shared a long look at this, and they seemed to have an entire conversation in their expressions. After a slightly uncomfortable silence, Garrus sighed in what could only be submission and started to speak.

"Joker, the White Titans are at the moment lacking-"

"Archangel!" Three heads turned to where a large Krogan stomped across the grass towards them. Seeing who it was, Garrus and Nora quickly stood up and widened their forms- preparing for a fight.

"Garm… Great to see you back for another semester." The armored Turian's tone dripped with sarcasm. "Back to try and weasel your way into a better Crew that the 'Blood Bringers'?"

"We demand that you tell Prodigy that we are stronger than the pathetic squad she has put together this year. You do not look too busy, surrounded by this little pale thing and the cripple" He gestured to the pair of them.

Joker heard the unmistakable sound of growling coming from both of them. If they got in a true fight, he could easily be collateral damage. Looking over, he saw Nora standing close to Garrus with a hand wrapped around his upper armor plate. _'What if Nora gets hurt!?'_ Why did he feel so uneasy about her being so close to the monstrous Krogan? He barely knew the girl for heaven's sake, but he had a desperate need to protect her.

"The White Titans don't take auditions. If the Captain saw any worth from you, you would have received a personal invitation two years ago."

"Weak-fisted pyjack! Prodigy won't get very good scores battle scores when her right-hand is in the Med bay!" He lounged towards the Turian and Nora, and Joker looked around for something he could use to fight the Krogan off. Maybe his crutch… but before he could act on any foolish impulses, Nora took action. Joker watched in awe. She reached into her boot, and side stepped him while Garrus leaped back. The Krogan seemed to have forgotten about the tiny female and kept his eyes on the Turian who dared call him 'worthless'. Nora kicked the back of his leg which brought him to his knees, and jumped on his back, wrenching on his natural plating back curling her lithe frame around his huge neck. It had happened so fast. One second she was standing next to Garrus and the next, quicker than Joker's eyes could follow, she was hanging over the Krogan, a fierceness Joker could never imagine crossing her face, blue eyes blazing. Her ankles were wrapped around his chest pressing hard into his chest plate with a palm length blade with a white handle held to his throat. She was a vision.

"Ba okroed uk omud rakvact tra White Titans, Pyjack. Ur viuh ora'tra uma qru qerr maad tra kadec!"

"Sat ukk'ke, viuh rettra-"

"Nora! Enough!" Again, a sharp voice broke through a crowd that had surrounded to watch the White Titan and the human girl take on an almost grown Krogan. This time four heads turned and watched as a man crossed through the circle and stopped right in front of the four of them. _'Crap. Caught in the middle of a fight on my first day? Mom is going to freak out!'_ Joker realized that he had taken one crutch into both his hands like a baseball bat. He dropped it back to the ground as the man approached. He was a man of obvious authority, with wrinkles and a countenance that showed he had seen much in his life. Joker watched as Nora hesitated and then hopped off of the Krogan and snapped into a straight backed at ease position. Her hands clasped around her back. The man first looked around at the gathering of people watching.

"Don't you all have STUDYING TO DO?" The crowd immediately dispersed, a few brave souls walking slower trying to catch a few words of the scolding.

"Professor Anderson, sir, I can explain-"

"Hold your tongue, Vakarian." He looked around at the four of them, one at a time hovering on Nora last. He turned first to the Krogan, "Urdnot Garm. There is no evidence for me to keep you here, as my arrival showed Nora and Mr. Vakarian beginning and assault. Let us all be _grateful_ " he emphasized at the scoff that came from Nora, "that it did not get that far. You may go- but be cautious of your actions in the future."

"Suud reddom'ca, qaodkekt." He threw over his shoulder as he stomped away.

"Trek ek'mut uitah!" She sneered back.

"Silence Nora!" Professor Anderson next turned to Joker. "Recruit, what on earth are you doing in the middle of this?" Joker glanced at Nora, whose head sharply snapped up when he was brought into it. _'No! I can't be expelled, this is my dream'_

"I was just-"

"Wait, they have nothing to do with this! Garm-"

"NORA-"

"But-"

"NORA PLEASE!"

"DAD LISTEN TO ME!" These words caused Professor Anderson to stop the yell that was about to sound from him. Joker's jaw fell open. Dad? Nora was the daughter of a professor? _'Crap'_ When Joker found enough sense to close his mouth and refocus on the pair Nora was looking at the professor with desperation written all over her face. He sighed and nodded once at her.

"Sir" she stood up straight, and quietly breathed in, "Recruit Moreau approached Garrus Vakarian of the White Titans with an interest in asking to audition in front of the Prodigy. Vakarian politely declined his request as the crew does not take auditions. Recruit Moreau accepted this answer and went to take his leave when Urdnot Garm of the Blood Bringers began to heckle Mr. Vakarian. I am well acquainted with Mr. Vakarian, as you know sir, and interrupted Mr. Vakarian from peacefully dissolving the situation. I took offense and THAT is what you saw happening on the grass. Just my actions alone. Sir."

Joker was in awe. This girl just took three punishments on herself so that her friend did not have to. And neither did he. He could understand her wanting to help her friend but she did not have any reason to help him. She did not know anything about him and she was protecting him! _'Who is this girl?'_

Professor Anderson let out a sigh and lifted a hand to rub his eyes. He looked to be trying to determine what course to take, and it was a hard choice. If Nora really is his daughter, it is choosing to punish two strangers or someone he loved. Joker looked over at Nora, and was surprised to see her looking at him. He met her eyes and was amazed what he saw. In her countenance was self-assurance and pride. She thought that she was doing the right thing. As if it was her pleasure to take all the responsibility. Joker had never met someone who would take a bullet from him, and it amazed him that this beautiful creature was proud and willing to. She offered him a quick smile, and in that moment he was convinced him that he was prepared to do anything to keep it there. The moment they shared was cut short by the decision finally being made by the professor, by her father.

"Okay fine. Because I have no evidence to the contrary, _Nora_ is banned from the rest of the semester's opening activities, along with one week's detentions." He turned his hard gaze towards Joker and Garrus who had remained silent. "You may both go, and remember that you two are VERY lucky"

"E'siv Nora."

"Later Garrus"

Joker started to leave as well but turned around.

"Goodnight Nora." He smiled as he caught her eye. _Thank you_

When he finally got back to his room after dinner, which he went out for because he had not bought groceries, he still couldn't stop thinking about the triumphant look in her eyes when Anderson let them go with a slap on the wrist. What was it about her that was so intoxicating? Blue eyes as bright as galaxies? Pale hair like the wheat fields on Tiptree? _'Pull yourself together Moreau, you just watched her go ninja crazy on some unlucky guy. Imagine what she would do to you! Besides, we are here to fly right?'_ As he stepped through the door into the dark, his foot slid on something that was definitely not carpet. Scrambling around in the dark for the light switch, he flicked it on and looked on the floor for the offensive object.

On his floor sat a thick white envelope with his name, _Recruit Jeffrey "Joker" Moreau_ scrawled across the top with _authorized by: Captain Prodigy Shepard._

 _Recruit Moreau_

 _With the authorization of Captain Shepard, you are cordially invited to the private quarters of the White Titans, to discuss a position of head pilot and helmsman of the travel based battle rounds this season at CITA._

 _Your files have been reviewed and we would like to offer you the chance to fly for the best. We will be watching your class proceedings. If at the end of two weeks from this date you are Proficient in flight combat courses and excelling with Flight Simulations, we will contact you with more details._

 _Understand that this is a non-contracted trial based offer, and by no means affiliates you with or groups you as the responsibility of the White Titans or any of the members specifically_.

Beneath it in black pen was hand written neatly _Good Luck, Recruit Moreau. I am sure you will impress us._

Joker re-read the letter for the third time and sat still for a long time on the corner of his bed. How did the Titans, the best team in CITA, even hear about him? Maybe Garrus Vakarian was listening to him when he was talking to Nora about the advances courses. Strangely enough, he was sure before that the Turian wasn't that impressed by him. Yet he looked down in his hands and the Letter was still there.

' _Oh yeah... We are here to fly'_

 _Ba okroed uk omud rakvact tra White Titans, Pyjack. Ur viuh ora'tra uma qru qerr m_ _aad tra kadec!_ =

Be afraid of and respect the White Titans, pyjack. Or you are the one who will need the medic!

 _Sat ukk'ke, viuh rettra-=_ Get off me, you little-

 _Suud reddom'ca, qaodkekt_ = Good riddance, weak fist.

 _Trek ek'mut uitah_!= This is not over!

 _E'siv=_ Later


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the week's activities consisted of club fairs and expositions on each of the branches the recruits could join during the day, and scrimmages between battle crews each night. It was the last day of celebrations before the classes started and Joker had finished in the last he had planned on going to, a Battle Piloting exhibition. He decided to try to find a place to eat before he was supposed to meet up with Ken, an engineering student he had met during orientation and seemed okay. He had asked him to join him to watch the scrimmage every night since they met and he had refused until Ken told him that tonight the White Titans would be battling. It was finally time for him to check them out in person. As he slowly made his way across the crowded Square, a commotion of people lead by a tan girl with a large camera pushed by him and knocked him off balance. Quickly he took several steps backwards, trying to stabilize himself.

He ran into something hard and solid. Thinking it nothing more than just a wall he turned

around to a very close up version of a white chest plate. Tilting his head back, he came face to face with a huge Krogan, with a scarred face and red eyes. _'oh, Crap'_

"Watch it, Human!"

"Sorry, I-"

"Hey Joker!" And of all the people around who could be there to watch him get his bones get shattered by a Krogan, it had to be Nora that walked up to him while the Krogan got ready to- _'wait, where did he go?'_ The Krogan had disappeared into the crowds in front of the entrance to the battle practice arena, where a battle crew dressed in black armor emerged lead by a large Turian and was instantly surrounded by students. Joker recognized the girl that almost knocked him of his feet as one of them. "Is everything thing okay?"

As she asked this, she stepped close to him and faced the same way he was looking; she was less than an inch away from leaning into him. Joker realized their proximity and his breath hitched in his throat. He felt his face go red, but was pleased to realize that even leaning on his crutches, the top of her head barely reached his chin. _'If I was to stand up straight, I could easily rest my chin on- Hey man, calm down! Jeez, you barely know her'_ She must have felt him stiffen from her closeness, because she immediately took a step back and started to play with her fingers, but still looked at him.

"Joker? Is everything okay?"

"Sure, Blondie. Yeah… I just- um- do you who they are?" He asked this gesturing back to the armored Turian and his crew.

"Yes." She replied darkly and turned her head both ways. "Do you want to walk?" He hesitated from the seriousness in her voice, but nodded in agreement. They made their way away from the larger crowds.

"That was Saren Arterius, they call him Sovereign. He is the captain of his crew- the Shadow Reapers. They are all really tough. He has called out the White Titans as his rival this season. Two years ago, they almost won but the Titans knocked them out of the top four. They were cheating- stealing galaxy maps and battle plans for each round."

"Wow, sounds like a great guy."

Nora laughed. "Yeah, a real charmer." she said, looking back at him. "Anyway, Shepard knew what he was doing, but none of CITA's authorities listened. Even though they had the upper hand, Shepard was able to keep them from the target long enough that the round ended and they failed. Their mission was to eliminate every member of the opposite team. The Titans happened to be a survival mission. The Reapers started out by tagging all of the Intel crews and the engineers all in the first few hours of the five day match. It was supposed to take the longest because the respective placements in the trees were classified. It was a massacre, in the first three days every White Titan had been eliminated except for three. Then two, and that quickly turned into one, but they never got her. She lasted alone in the jungles of Eden Prime with only knives for three days, and even took out most of his battle crew. That was part of their mission of survival, to not use guns or grenades for 'kills'. It wasn't until after the battle that she was able to show the authorities the evidence of him cheating. They punished him by disqualifying his crew last season. But now they are back. Hence the rivalry."

"Jeez…" Joker was at a loss for words. _'This is the person who thinks I might be good enough to be her pilot'_ "She sounds amazing. How do you know all this?"

She hesitated, then responded, "Garrus told me. They stayed in the roumd the longest; Prodigy and Archangel. They were recruited together and are still together now. As the Alpha and Second-in-Command. They got their crew names from the previous Captain because of that match. Garrus became Archangel because he took out a large group of Turian fighters from above that almost caught them from. He protected her and was strong enough to take them all out giving her time to get away before he was eliminated, but loyal enough not to think he had a better chance. And then, Captain Hackett gave Shepard the name Prodigy because he said that even though she did everything perfect, and even flawlessly used tactics he never even taught her in practices, to him she still looked like a little girl skipping through the trees. He called her his child prodigy."

"How did you meet Garrus?"

"I was adopted. Anderson found me and took me in when I was nine. He was a member of the military and we moved around a lot for his work. Ships, space stations, and planets- I have seen them all. Garrus and his sister were in the same situation after-" she paused and looked away as if she were debating something. "His dad was in the military too, and they happened to be stationed in the same place most of the time. He is like a brother to me."

"Nora, I have been meaning to thank you for taking the heat for me. You didn't have to do that."

"Nora? What happened to 'Blondie'?" She laughed. "It is no trouble, it really was my fault."

"Maybe, maybe not. But still, you took all the blame for Garrus, and for me. Why?"

"I am a fighter it is what we do. We fight idiots."

"Really? Because you are a lot different than any other fighters I've seen."

"Well, _Recruit_ Moreau, what could you mean by that?" Her words warned him that he had pushed his bounds, but looking down to see the smile in her eyes and the curve of the corners of her mouth told him that she was amused and teasing him.

"Well for one you are really short."

"Joker!" she scrunched up her nose and lightly nudged him with her shoulder. "Just so you know I am the third best fighter in the Hand-to-Hand fight team." This caused Joker to do a double take. His Nora was on a fight team? It was only then that Joker realized that even though she was small, she was athletically built and lightly toned with muscle no doubt earned from hours at the gym. A vision of discipline with blond hair and galaxies for eyes. ' _Wait a minute! My Nora? Where did that come from? Oh, crap! I am staring. Say something Moreau!'_

"I was kidding! Well you are kind… and intelligent- I know you speak _at least_ " Joker paused, making a face, "four languages. How many other fighters know four languages?"

"Four? What makes you think that?"

"Elementary, dear Watson." She raised a thin eyebrow at this, and gestured for him to explain. He paused and balanced his weight on one crutch while holding up his hand. Flicking up one finger, he continued. "I know you speak intergalactic Common, because I am standing here talking to you now."

"Ha! Insightful, Mr. Holmes." He flicked up a second.

"You also speak Krogan, we uncovered that lovely language with our run in with that friend of Garrus three days ago. However, if you are fluent or just know enough to insult and threaten still remains to be seen, as I assume that was the topic of discussion."

"Har har! Maybe, but I only speak the most commonly used dialect on Tuchanka. There is a lot I don't know from others."

"Semantics. It still counts, and that is a point for me." He held up a third finger. "This is just an educated guess on my part, but I am pretty sure you speak Turian. Your best friend is one, and it is not that far or a stretch that if you have known him as long as you have you picked it up. You seem like the type of person who would do that. Right so far?"

"Consider me impressed, Joker. I might have to keep you around, for crime solving purposes that is."

"Funny. Good to know I am good for something I suppose."

"But that was only three. Are you counting all of my sarcasm, clever remarks, and witty one-liners as a language of their own?"

"Please, Blondie! I invented that language." At the return of her nickname, she smiled up at him, and he couldn't resist grinning back. "Seriously though, there is something in the way you talk. Not really an accent, I don't really know. A little more…..refined I guess? Maybe it is my imagination. Is Common your native language?"

"No, actually, it isn't." She was looking at him strangely now. Joker realized that he had caught her off guard and put her at a loss for words instead of the other way around this time. It felt good. "I- no one else has ever pointed that out to me before. I didn't know. It is French. The colony I grew up with was a congregation of descendants from European colonists from Earth. When my dad- Professor Anderson- found me, it was the only language I knew. It was hard for both of us at first. But we worked it out." She looked almost sad when she talked about before she was adopted, and Joker realized that she didn't like dwelling on whatever happened to her. He cleared his throat, and held up his four fingers again.

"Well, that's four. Bow down to my miraculous powers of inference and deduction." But she shook her head with a smile, and with her small thin fingers took his other hand and held them up between them.

"Common…Krogan…Turian….French…" she paused, "Quarian…Russian…" a longer pause this time. "…And Batarian." For each she lifted one of his fingers delicately.

"S-seven?" Joker choked out after a pause. Looking around his hands to meet her eyes. "You've learned seven languages?"

"Yes. So far."

"So, let me get this straight. Not only are you a french crazy fighter chick who can take down anyone in seconds, Mortal Kombat circa 1995 style, but you can trash talk them and go on to speak at their funeral, too?"

It started with a small giggle, which caused a flutter inside his stomach and made Joker's knees weak, but turned into her bursting out with sweet laughter, and he couldn't help but join her.

Something happened between them that day. They spent the rest of it there, sitting on that bench in the middle of the Square. They talked about everything and nothing at the same time. He told her about his hopes as a pilot, and she told him that one day she wanted to be a commander in the military, and then retire to teach. Joker learned that Nora loved the sound of rain, but not being in it. Joker told her about the time he 'borrowed' a small Battle Fighter from the training grounds and drove it through the high traffic of Citadel. And how he was going to go to trial, but his performance attracted the attention of CITA's recruiters and was offered a place there instead. Joker had never met anyone who he was as comfortable around as he was around her. She was amazing. He had always been so closed off with everyone he had met. He surrounded himself with a wall of sarcasm so that no one would see inside him and pity him or think him foolish for thinking he could be something better with his disease. She was the exception. Nora hadn't broken through. What was stranger, Joker had let her in willingly. He wanted her to see the real him. She resided with the pieces of him that aspired and dreamed.

"Why do you care so much about other people? What have they ever done for you?"

They had been talking about how her goal as a commander was to have her own ship and use it to defend the colonies that were farther out from Citadel space. She looked down at her long thin fingers, which she had started to play with again. A blush appeared on her cheeks. "Um…" _'Great job, jerk- you made her nervous. You should have just dropped it!'_

"Nor- Blondie, you don't have to answer that. I am sorry, and I didn't mean it that way. I am just not used to seeing people act that way. Selflessly I mean, like when you took the blame for me. You know, you still haven't told me why."

"Ha! I am far from selfless, just ask Garrus." She laughed and than gave him a genuine smile, one of his favorites that made the world brighter, and he couldn't help but return with his own side smirk. "Truthfully? It was because of the way you were talking about piloting. I still remember from all those nights ago. Like there was nothing better in the world but doing what you love. Like you would do anything to fly. It is hard to find that amount of enthusiasm in someone. That amount of passion. It is something I look for when I am- um, well it is just something to look for in people."

Just like far too many other times when Joker was talking to Nora, he was lost for words. He stopped moving and turned to face her.

"Wow. That's-"

"Hey Moreau! Come on, we need to get good seats! You can bring your lass if you want but let's go!"

Joker and Nora both jumped and looked to where the voice was coming from, and he was surprised to see that the crowds had long since dissolved and Joker was startled when he realized they were sitting basically alone in the grassy quad. Ken and Gabby stood alone on the pavement across from them. She seemed just as surprised and checked the time on her omnitool. She started to scramble around collecting all her things. And together they spoke.

"Blondie, the three of us are going to the scrimmage tonight. Do you-"

"I am really sorry Joker. I have a thing-" She looked back at him, the corners of her lips turning up. "Sorry, go ahead."

"No, you go."

"Well, I have somewhere I was supposed to be, like… twenty minutes ago. I am sorry, but it is really important." He couldn't help the disappointment from showing on his face. _'Of course she has a date. She is stunning, and fiery, and wonderful. Why wouldn't she. And even if she didn't she wouldn't give a second look to me.'_ She must have seen the disappointment, because she stopped walking backwards, smiled shyly, and said, "Detention, I have detention. Three days ago, I had to take the heat for a fight between some ugly Krogan and a friend of mine who is a little too protective. But nobody spoke up to take the blame- so I was stuck with it."

"What a bunch of wusses."

"Yes, tell me about it. It's okay though; there was a charming pilot there who saw me take down a full size Krogan with nothing but my Converse and a pocket knife. He probably thought it was pretty impressive, for a girl as 'short' as I am. I really have to go, but will see you around, space jockey." She winked and jogged off, with her blond hair flowing through the air behind her. _'She thinks I am charming?'_

"Wow." Ken stood mouth agape. "Jeez, Moreau, who in the hot ham haggis was that?"

"That's Nora."

Together they watched her until she turned a corner, not looking back once.

A bit of a gap since last chapter was up. I was moving back into my apartment and didn't have any internet for a while. I am sorry! Thank you all for the follows or even reading my little story. I have the next chapter planned out, hopefully we will get into a battle scene and how that works will be cleared up quickly. Feel free to critique, or make suggestions for any part of the story or where it is going. (No promises. I have a plan in my head, so HUGE changes are unexpected) If you like where it is going so far, I wish it to continue to go a way that is new and interesting. More or less of anything... that kind of thing.


	4. Chapter 4

Ken's friend, Harkin, had gone to the coliseum hours earlier, to hold spots for the three of them and himself on the fourth row of the stands. He was slightly glad Nora couldn't come to the scrimmage, because the seats were so packed that they were already sitting uncomfortably close to each other. _'she would have had to practically sit in my lap to have a seat'._ There was still some time left before it started, but the coliseum was already more full then Joker had ever seen it; he assumed it was because of who was scrimmaging, and that it was their season debut. Glancing around at the others sitting lower than them, Joker saw students as well as uniforms of many military branches, and men and women in all kinds of suits and other respective official clothing. Military Recruiters and Sponsers. _'Everyone on this side of the freaking galaxy must have come to see the great White Titans'_ he sat in amazement. The coliseum was set up for battle in a way that Joker could only imagine took hours to initially design. The stage had been lowered into a shallow pit, so that the entire arena and its contents could be looked down at by everyone in attendance. The battleground itself was designed like a warehouse, with thick pillars and various sizes of boxes strewn around almost filling the floor. Walls of boxes and tarp covered mechanics towered up, so that viewers in attendance could see the entire floor, but those who came in the arena at ground level were met with stacked boxes interrupting the view to see the two doors on opposite sides of the arena.

"Have you ever been to a Battle crew scrimmage before Jeff?" Gabby asked while Ken sat waiting impatiently for the match to begin.

"No, I haven't even watched them on the Vids. My sister was super into it though. She's a real fan of the Titans, I think" he replied, but it seemed that they only heard until he said he never watched battles before, when their mouths opened and they stared at him with wide eyes.

"Never? How have you never watched a match? Didn't you know how important Crews are to life at CITA?"

"Well, I mean, yeah I knew. But I could never really get into watching a nonstop glorified lazertag game that lasts for days on end."

"Oh, Moreau, you are in for such a rude awakening, my friend." Ken chuckled.

"What do you mean?"

"Joker, how much do you really know about the rules and technical details of CITA's Crew program?" Gabby asked delicately.

"I know enough." He said defiantly. "Teams are given missions. Once the season really starts, the missions get increasingly more intense, eventually lasting up to a week or two at a time and travelling through different parts of the galaxy. Yadda, yadda, yadda…" _'Only what Nora told me- and what I picked up from Hilary's babbling…'_

"But you obviously don't know anything about the _actual_ combat, do you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Joker asked sharply, starting to feel like there is a vital piece of information he was missing.

"It means, friend, that what you are about to watch is going to be very close to real combat."

"What do you two mean _real_ combat?"

"We mean that there isn't gonna be any 'lazertag' played in that arena tonight. It is real."

"Those are just students," he gestured toward the arena. " You expect me to believe that they are going to be shooting at each other? And what about us? Bullets can't just be flying around, Donnelly." Looking around Joker realized that the coliseum was packed full. The scrimmage must have been about to start because people were all sitting down and chatting impatiently.

"Come on mate, are you as plastered as Harkin?- "Hey!"- "There's a biotic field around the arena!"

"Jeff, understand that the main point of CITA creating the program was to train for real life combat and wartime. They had to make it as real as possible. The weapons are real, along with the danger of being in a crew. It works like this- each player's suit is specifically calibrated to the wearer. The suits are literally attached to their nervous systems. For example, on human suits, the suit is connected to the crew member on the back of their neck at the base of the skull; where the nervous system is most gathered and signals from the brain are sent to the body. It is a very delicate process."

"You are serious?"

"Yes. All hits are instantaneously analyzed and measured for trajectory, precision, and effect they would have on the body, and are then relayed to the suits nerve connector. They feel the pain, Jeff. To the Crew members, getting shot is getting shot. Any bullets entering the suits of the respective species are stopped by auto-activating biotic shells around them. Any hit in specific vital areas that would otherwise kill instantly, like most shots to the head, are stopped and the suit does not relay the signals through the nerves of the body, but leads to an instant elimination because the pain would be that of something that killed you right away. When the members are eliminated, their nervous attachment shuts down the neural connection to the rest of the body, and it is paralyzed. A shield is formed around them so they don't get hurt. But if the hit isn't deadly, it is just like real fire. They continue with the match feeling as though there is a bullet wound in their bodies."

"This is insane! What about the rest of the crew? Like you and I? Engineers and pilots and medics and stuff?"

"The rest of the crews also have the auto-activating shells, but they are usually given they choice to work on a live or die tolerance. Most choose to have implants that relay just living or dying without the pain of combat because for most missions they aren't the ones fighting. It is ultimately the discretion of the Crew Captain."

"So, does Captain Shepard-"

"WELCOME TO THE LAST SCRIMMAGE OF THE CITADEL INTERGALACTIC TRAINING ACADEMY!" The stadium lit up with noise, a cacophony of screams, yells, and bellowing for either team.

"MONDAY MORNING, WE RETURN TO THE GRING OF SCHOOL AND TRAINNG, BUT NOW IT IS FINALLY TIME FOR THE LONG AWAITED MATCH BETWEEN THE FRESHLY RETURNED SHADOW REAPERS-" a mixture of cheering and booing filled the ears of everyone in the stadium. _'Apparently, not everyone is happy about their return'_. "-AND THE LONG REIGNING CHAMPIONS, THE WHITE TITANS!" A roar of excitement came over the crowds, and Joker couldn't help but cheer along with them, previous conversation momentarily forgotten. The excitement was contagious.

"THE BEST OF THE BEST ARE ABOUT TO BATTLE IT OUT FOR PRE-SEASON DOMINANCE! THE OFFICIAL BATTLE MISSIONS HAVE BEEN DECIDED, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE A CLEAN, FORMAL BATTLE CREW SCRIMMAGE, PLAYERS. LAST CREW STANDING WINS THE MATCH, WITH INSTANT TEAM DISQUALIFICATION EARNED FROM LOOSING BOTH CAPTAIN AND SECOND-IN-COMMAND. EACH TEAM IS ALLOWED ONE TIME-OUT. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE YOU WANT TO IMPRESS, RECRUITS. START TAKING NOTES BECAUSE IN MERE SECONDS, BOTH SIDES OF THE ARENA WILL OPEN AND YOU WILL SEE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A GREAT!

REAPERS, ARE YOU READY?" The stadium instantly went almost silent.

"This is Captain Saren Arterius. I am prepared to begin." A two toned voice scratched over the com systems. _'The teams must be waiting to begin right outside the arena doors'._

"TITANS, ARE YOU READY?"

"This is Captain Prodigy Shepard. The Titans are ready to begin." It was the first time Joker had heard her voice. It was scratchy and muffled from the comm. systems, but he was still surprised how feminine it sounded, she sounded like she couldn't be much older than him. And yet there was a tone of confidence and assuredness in her words which added maturity. Somehow he thought that meeting her face to face would show that she trusted her crew and had the same amount of respect for them as they did for her.

"THEN GET SET- IN THREE…TWO…ONE…FIGHT!"

From the two opposite sides of the arena white and black armored soldiers flooded the arena, each armed heavily. Both sides immediately took cover before any shots could be fired off. One small figure in white quickly gestured to different choice covers spread out for the other members and the Titans all followed through without hesitation. The red band around her left upper arm told Joker that this was Captain Prodigy. The soldiers in black began to move towards the other side quickly; almost haphazardly, all with the exception of who Joker knew could only be Captain Saren Arterius because of the red band around his arm, and two oversized Krogan with shotguns on either side of him.

"BOTH TEAMS ARE LOOKING FRESH AND REASY FOR A FIGHT TONIGHT FOLKS. IT IS NOT SURPRISING TO SEE THAT EACH TEAM HAS TAKEN THEIR RESPECTIVE USUAL METHODS OF ATTACK. WITH THE REAPERS GOING IN FOR AN EARLY DEFEAT, AND THE TITANS HOLDING BACK TO FIND A GOOD DEFENSIVE EDGE WHILE PRODIGY LINES UP THE PLAN OF ATTACK. AS EXPECTED, IT SEEMS CAPTAINS SHEPARD AND ARTERIUS HAVE FORMED COHESIEVE TEAMS THAT FIGHT WITH THEIR OWN PERSONAL STYLES. THE ONLY TRULY SURPRISING MOVE THAT HAS BEEN MADE HERE IS SOVERIGN'S RELUCTANCE TO JOIN WHAT IS SURELY GOING TO BE A TOUGH FIGHT ON BOTH SIDES. THE REAPERS COULD REALLY USE THE FIREPOWER AGAINST A TEAM AS STRATEGICALLY SOUND AS THE TITANS."

At this point, the first shots have been fired and the match had truly begun. Three members of the Titans moved forward to face the first of the enemy ranks; a Quarian, the Krogan that Joker was all too familiar with, and the other human female member of the crew. Shepard had found a position for her team that was filing the Reapers passed the center of the enormous arena together and into more shallow cover. It was a smart move on her part. Jeff watched in awe, hypnotized. Never had he imagined that what Hilary was always squealing about in front of the holoscreens in their living room during his recoveries would be anything like this. Shepard and the White Titans moved with such natural synchrony it was almost visceral. They fought as one unit with her as the directing leader. All it took was a gesture or a hand signal. They worked together, weaving between and always knowing how to protect each other, and trusting one another to cover their backs. Never had he understood why Captain Shepard searched so long and only took an elite few, but now he understood that any member who she chose had to have this natural instinct. It must have been rare to find. From the outside, her team was diverse in both fighting style and race. But they were all Titans. All differences were forgotten once the team was given a goal.

Four Turian soldiers from the Reapers rushed forward. They were heavily armored, but no true match for the first line of defense Shepard designed. The Quarian, who Joker realized must have been the tiny Quarian from the first orientation day, was using an assault rifle not unlike those carried by the Batarians, but with finesse that was reminiscent of action movie heroines, despite her size. Along with the Krogan and his shotgun, they easily knocked out two of the four Batarians in the first few minutes of the scrimmage. As each fell, a red flashing light covered them signaling their elimination.

As they pushed towards the other two members, the strategy turned to chaos as a roar and thunderous explosion combusted in the middle of the five, including the remaining two reapers, and throwing them all harshly against boxes and walls, only to slide to the floor with a bright red flashing omni-shield around them.

"HOLD ON EVERYONE, IT SEEMS CAPTAIN SOVERIEGN HAS JUST EXPLOITED HIS NEWEST MEMBERS AS PRODIGY'S BAIT!"

"Oi! What are you doing?! Come on! That must be cheating or something!"

"No! You sick-"

Joker watched as Captain Prodigy turned her helmet straight towards one of the cameras, ripped off her armband, and dropped it. An alarm sounded, and Joker realized that this was the way a timeout was called.

"THAT'S RIGHT EVERYONE, NO LESS THAN HALF OF CAPTAIN PRODIGY'S TEAM- TAKEN OUT IN ONE BRUTAL BLOW! THAT IS GOING TO BE HARD FOR THE PRODIGY AND ARCHANGEL TO COME BACK FROM. I AM SURE THAT THE CAPTIAN IS REGRETTING NOT FILLING HER TEN MEMBER MAXIMUM GROUND TEAM RIGHT NOW. WITH ONLY SIX TITANS REGISTERED SO FAR- THE LOWEST MEMBERED CREW ENTERING THE NEW SEMESTER- SHE WILL HAVE A FEW SPOTS TO FILL BEFORE THE COMPETITION GETS TOO FAR ALONG. WITH THE REMAINING COUNT OF REAPERS- 6, TITANS- 3, IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THE REST OF THIS PLAYS OUT."


	5. Chapter 5

The Titans re-entered the stadium to cheers with Shepard leading Archangel and Kaidan Alenko following behind her. Joker watched as she made her way through the obstacles to where she dropped her Captain band. She picked it up, Alenko following on her heels and offering to tie it back around her arm. She turned, gave him a hesitant nod, and handed it to him.

"This is not a very good place for Prodigy to begin after what just happened," sighed Harkin to nobody in particular, sobered up from the scrimmages past events. "But I can't tell what she is thinking! Prodigy is a brick wall when it comes to emotion. Nothing breaks through. For all I know she's been planning this the whole time."

"She might be! Everybody knows that she is a natural born infiltrator- best with smaller groups, and she moves so silent and fast!," Gabby replied.

"No, no! She wouldn't do that, she cares about her team too much! Besides, Shepard is obviously better used as a Soldier. She is absolutely ruthless on the field." Ken countered. And she never needs to sneak anywhere or rely on distance targeting- that's what she keeps Archangel around for. Their fighting chemistry fits together perfectly! It is crazy they have only known each other since recruitment. They act like family, look at them!"

Joker turned back to look down on the arena to see that while Shepard's helmet barely reached the top of Archangel's chest plate, she had her hand on his shoulder and seemed to be consoling him. It was obvious that she had told him something that he did not agree with and was trying to convince him of something she was saying.

Even though Harkin didn't understand the Captain's, Joker knew exactly what she was planning before Saren eliminated two of his own team. He could see, of all people, one of her newest crewmembers Alenko, whom no one else seemed to be paying attention to, working his way around the fighting towards the back of Sovereign and his defensive guards. It was a perfect strategy- no one seemed to notice that he had left his position with Prodigy and Archangel. With all of the fire coming from the front, their flank was left open in a perfect hole for Alenko to take advantage of. There was no personal glory for her this way; a pawn killing the king and queen. But it was unexpected and clever.

"ALRIGHT EVERYONE, THE REMAINING MEMBERS OF EACH CREW HAVE RETAKEN THEIR LAST POSITIONS AND HAVE CHECKED IN READY TO FIGHT. RESTARTING IN THREE…TWO…ONE.."

The fighting this time was immediate and chaotic. Like before, Saren stayed behind under cover, but he now sent all of the remaining five reapers to clean the field. Shepard took point with an assault rifle while Vakarian covered her with a sniper rifle. They were pressing forward and weaving through the field almost haphazardly.

"WELL HERE IS A STRATEGY WE HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE, WHAT COULD THE PRODIGY PLANNING WITH THIS RUSH? IT SEEMS THAT THE CAPTAIN OF THE TITANS HAS CALLED A TWO MAN HAIL MARY AGAINST THE ENTIRE REAPER CREW."

Shepard dived into the fighting, while Archangel took cover and they systematically began to pick off the Reapers one by one. The first and second of the remaining Reapers were immediately eliminated with headshots from Archangel's sniper rifle. They dropped with two flashes of red light, and the crowds roared. Joker was sure that if the Captain Sovereign could hear how much support the White Titans had, he would have given up there and then. This was the first time Joker had seen Captain Shepard in true combat and it was more graceful than he could have ever imagined. The Reapers focused their fire on Shepard, but none were able to hit her. She would get her shots off and then roll into cover, different every time and quicker than anyone could follow. Like a flashes of lightning, she struck fast and hard and together Archangel and she had quickly neutralized their opponents. All that remained from the Shadow Reapers were Captain Saren Arterius and his second-in-command Korlok "the Behemoth" Vrod, a Krogan that was stonewalled with thick charcoal Battlemaster armour who had rushed forward from Sovereign's side and engaged Shepard into a whirlwind of fighting.

"DON'T LOOK NOW TITAN FANS, BUT PRODIGY'S BEEN HIT!"

Joker had seen it happen. The Behemoth had moved in too close to her, so close that Joker knew Archangel wouldn't be able to find a clear shot without the risk of hitting the Captain. She didn't hesitate to drop her gun and pull out two holo-knives from holsters on her calves. Joker remembered what Nora told him about Prodigy's past with knives and felt a slight surge of hope. However, his companions obviously knew less of the Captain's history.

"What in the name of all that is good is she doing?"

"She is going to get herself eliminated!"

"Knives? Against a Krogan?! Prodigy what are you doin'?"

Shepard was just as skilled as Nora made her out to be, so skilled with them that she was able to hit the Krogan on the side, arms, and stomach multiple times. However, he was fresh into the fight, full of adrenaline, and covered in armor. He rushed her repeatedly until she moved a fraction of a second too slow. He barrelled towards her and his body clipped her shoulder as she tried to sidestep him. She was thrown with her back up against a pillar that was out of the view of Archangel's sniper range. It was a fatal mistake, and in less than a second the Behemoth had pulled his shotgun off his back and fired almost point blank into her stomach, where her armor would have been the weakest. She fell to her knees with her head down, but shockingly was not enveloped by a red biotic shield. After a moment of completely shocked silence, screams filled the stadium as the thousands of viewers realized their hero was about to be eliminated for the first time in two years.

The Behemoth lifted the barrel of his shotgun to take aim, and Joker's heart jumped to his throat. He didn't know why he cared so much, but seeing Prodigy's thin frame in such a vulnerable position upset him and made him feel protective over her. But the shoot never rang out. Capitan Sovereign had apparently called off his Krogan, and had left his cover to push him aside and approach the now doubled over Prodigy. She was holding her side with her shoulders slumped and Joker knew now that even though there was no real wound, the pain must have been unbearable. He lost hope for a slight second before he realized something. _'Wait a minute, with both of them focused on her and Archangel free to…And Alenko coming from behund... '_ Now he understood. She was setting herself up. She was…

Bait.

"What is she DOING?! Where's her support?"

"Maybe this is the end of the Titans, the stress of a third year might have been too much. You think she's lost her touch?"

"I've never seen her lose control of the field like this. Why did her crew abandon her?"

Joker had heard enough. Again it seemed like he was the only one who was able to see what Shepard was planning. "Come on! She hasn't 'lost control' of anything! Don't you guys get it? She's drawing their attention. Look at Alenko and Archangel for a minute!"

While all the eyes in the stadium were distracted and drawn to Shepard and Saren, Archangel had moved to a new position and had lined up a perfect shot towards the Behemoth. Alenko ran forward out of Saren's defensive position barely three yards away with sights of an assault rifle set on Captain Sovereign. It was over in mere seconds. Shepard raised her hand and flicked a signal to both of them who simultaneously fired rounds into their perspective targets and there were two flashes of red light.

It was clear. Shepard had set an elaborate trap for Captain Sovereign. She knew that he was proud, and held too strong a grudge to let anyone but himself take out the Titan that sold him out two years ago. She also knew that whether or not she remained in the game, by gathering both the captain and second together out in the open would make it easy for her crew to finish them off. It was complex, but so simple at the same time. Joker was in awe.


	6. Chapter 6

"So, then they just walked out, with Garrus and the Krogan supporting Captain Shepard between them. They didn't celebrate or anything. The entire team looked torn apart that their captain was hurt."

"Regard the asteroid belt 350.63 meters ahead to the left, Recruit Moreau... Now 75.46. Closing in fast. Dangerous. Would suggest avoiding at all costs..."

"Yep. I got it. Please, I could fly this track in my sleep." As Joker finished his third extra simulator session of the week, he continued to excel. He was making split-second decisions with big risks and larger payouts. Weaving through the debris field, he dipped and skirted around without the slightest dip in the simulated shield power.

"You are doing well, Recruit Moreau. Flight skills good. Upper spinal vertebrae nerve reflexes sharp. Overcompensates wit and sarcasm to alienate all negative personal feelings towards Vrolik's Syndrome. Unnecessary. Lower abdominals and extensions not necessary to maintain correct flight courses. Expected outcomes- quick rate of success in current field. But do not get cocky. Do what you are required to be doing, and please do not scratch my simulator." Professor Mordin Solus insisted. However, Joker could hear the satisfied smirk behind the comm system in the simulator cockpit. _'Ha! I got the Salarian to make a joke!'_

He was lucky to have found a rarely used and relatively glitch free practice flight simulator. Most of the simulators were either so glitchy it was a hazard to work with them or booked day and night by upperclassmen finishing their last years. For some reason there was one placed in the tech lab of a brilliant but quirky Salarian professor named Doctor Solus; who he quickly befriended. The RTS Miritrix was a mid-sized simulation fighter whose holo-coding chip was given to Joker to practice with regularly. She could maintain drift, but had glitchy drive core pumps that Ken was in the middle of trying to fix between class blocks. Overall she was a normal recruit Training Ship sim and Joker could handle her.

 _"_ Professor, as much as I would love to fly us on another scenic stroll through the depths of the Terminus System, can I finish up here?"

"Affirmative. Enter planetary orbit, then permission to shut it down granted, Mr. Moreau."

Joker pulled a sharp right out of the flow of the asteroid belt and effortlessly threaded the Miritrix through the debris. Just for dramatic effect he threw in a barrel roll before coming to a 200K drift just outside the clouded atmosphere of the planet Scides.

"Attempt resistance to showing off, Mr. Moreau..."

He grinned. "I'll try, sir."

The dim orange glow of the holo screens turned off for momentary darkness as the pressurized cockpit door hissed and opened. The brightness of the iridescent lights made him squint, even under the brim of his CITA flight school hat, and he blinked until his eyes adjusted enough to see a smiling Salarian in a lab coat standing right outside holding out his crutches out to him.

"Thank you, sir." He nodded in appreciation, but instead of sitting down across from the Scientist's desk as usual, he slung his bag on while maintaining his balance. "How did I do?"

"Proficiently. Seems like you are in a hurry today. Is something wrong, Jeff? Pain from Vrolik's? No, would not be standing. Late for class? Improbable, has stayed longer periods before. Distaste to discuss flight session? Unlikely, as a rule recruit is always open to critical feedback...Other plans perhaps?"

"Sort of... Just heading to my check up. My med. records came through last night and they scheduled me for a meeting with the Doc."

"Haha! Yeah n' he wants to be on time to dinner with his lass, dunnint 'e?" Ken wolf-whistled from his pile of scrap metal and wires beneath the piloting block in the engineering deck. Joker shot him a glare. And then Gabby giggled from inside the open panel beside him.

"Nora sure has caught his attention Professor. Then again, the way she acts around him; it might be the other way around."

"Gabby!"

"Nora. Nora Anderson perhaps? Adopted daughter of marine turned professor David Anderson. Strong student. Excels in physical, mental, and psychological trials. Generally associates with upperclassmen regardless of age separation, especially fighting class students and more specifically Battle Crew members known as White Titans. Works very hard for success in all tasks and universal approval. Suggests radical conscious fear of failure. Very pretty according to human standards. Psychologically extroverted, but not especially social. Not general initiator of participation in social norms. Interesting. Is a good match. How long have you been together, Mr. Moreau?"

"Wha- What do you Good ma- We aren't _together,_ Professor." Joker choked out. _'Good match!?'_ "We are just getting dinner. Nora's always busy and doesn't have a lot of free time. When she does she likes to leave campus. You know, to get away and relax."

"Interesting. Widely accepted human strategy for relaxation is, mainly, staying in. Reading a book. Sleeping. Exercising. Yoga or methodical breathing, perhaps? Eating saccharine saturated 'sweets'. Others such as-"

"Alright! Alright! Jeez- Harassed by those two and now my Professor. Is nothing sacred?" Mordin Solus was now widely grinning and Joker knew the Salarian was ribbing him. Ken and Gabby were laughing outright and clutching their sides. "You all keep working on your jokes, I've got to go."

The meet and greet with the doctor went well. Dr. Chakwas reminded Joker a bit of a grandmother, but more like a great aunt that wasn't afraid to speak her mind (before she baked you cookies that is). She had given him a new prescription with lower dosages and replaced it with an injection of a new trial drug with the potential to permanently reduce his pain. His appointment took less time than Joker thought it would, so he found himself making his way back to his apartment a few hours before he was supposed to meet Nora at the shuttle station that evening. The easiest way to get to there _'with the least amount of stairs'_ he mapped out to himself was to cut across the front of the arena and through the team office hallways.

It was already late in the afternoon, and the artificial lights of CITA station had dimmed down to a dusk. Coming to the last row of offices, he wandered down a receding hallway that he had never noticed before. _'Maybe this is a shortcut'_ Turning around a corner he was shocked to collide with a figure running into his chest. A mixture of shock and the wind being knocked out of him, along with his lack of balance with his crutches, caused them to fall backwards in a mess of limbs heavily onto a planter. Joker knew from experience that the collision would likely break a rib or two. However, at the last second the runner threw their body weight so that they spun in the air and he had a softer landing while they fell hard and heavy on their back. They groaned with the combined force of hitting the ground and Joker's weight on top of them.

"Hey! What do you think you are doing!?"

"Get off!"

Joker did not have time to react before two strong pairs of arms grabbed him around his shoulders and pulled him upright, only to shove him back hard enough for him to stumble against the opposite wall. After a few seconds, Joker came to his senses enough to look up and see three human students standing in front of him. The two who had grabbed him stood on both sides of the third who had knocked into him. Both were dark haired, however the guy was not as tanned as the girl. Either of them were at least a half of a foot taller that the second girl, as well. While they were in what seemed like normal white PT uniforms, the third was also wearing a white jacket with the hood fully drawn. The guy was looking between her and Joker, exchanging looks of stern disapproval and extreme concern. The tall, tan girl just glared at him. The guy spoke first, and already Joker decided he hated him.

"Are you trying to hurt someone? Your name and rank. Now!"

"Me? Come on, man! She was the one who-!"

"Do not take a tone! You are on dangerous ground. Classes are over and this area of campus is restricted to CITA Battle Crew members only after 1600 Standard Citadel time."

"Calm down, Kaiden. It was an accident-" the tan girl glanced between Joker and the third hooded member.

"Now!" He ignored her. "BEFORE you are ordered serious ramifications. Your name and rank!" _'This guy…'_

"Jeffrey Moreau, advanced Piloting, first year recruit. Shoe size 11, favorite color blue. Gemini...or am I a Virgo? I always forg-" Joker replied pretending to be thinking hard.

"That's it, Recruit! Report to-"

"Stand down, Alenko." The hooded figure spoke for the first time. " _Alenko? Like….the Titan, Alenko-'_

"But Shep-"

"That's Captain to you, Williams!" _'Ashley Williams? Ashley GUNNY Williams?'_

"But _Captain_ , he could have-" _'Woah, are these Titans!?'_

And sure enough, with a closer look Joker realized the PTUs the two wore were labeled "White Titans" in bold letters while the third member's jacket was embroidered with the same. The jacket's sleeves were also decorated with bold red bands down the arms.

"Enough!" The figure spoke in a deep yet feminine voice, one that was strangely familiar. Joker thought that he had heard it before, but a little different. This voice carried a strange authority. Then he caught himself. _'Wait, Captain! Like Captain SHEP-'_

The still hooded figure then turned towards him, although she made an effort to keep her face hidden in shadows. He remembered that Hilary told him at the beginning of the semester that Prodigy kept her identity secret.

"First of all, are you okay?"

"Um, yeah, Yes. I'm good."

"Good." She paused. "Recruit, were you aware of the area curfew?"

"Huh- Wha- No! I was just-"

"And did you purposefully attempt to injure any member of any crew member or student of CITA for the personal gain of your or your peers?" Joker could somehow sense that the person under the hood was working hard to remain a figure of authority, and could almost hear the smirk in the tone of her voice.

"No! Wait! Sorry, are you Captain Shepard?"

"Or act with malcontent?" She asked, seeming to not hear him.

"No!" He scoffed.

"Then you are free to go, as long as you steer clear of rule breaking in the future."

He knew that he was already on thin ice with Alenko and Williams glaring at him, so decided to not take any more chances.

As the three walked away, Joker watched as Alenko tried to coddle Captain Shepard, and had to hold in a laugh as she brushed him off and started running quickly ahead of them again. _'He's in for a disappointment'_ Joker grinned at himself. From what little he had learned about this Captain Shepard, he was this guy was not worth her time, and by the way she shrugged off his hand she knew it, too.

A few hours later, Joker had met up with Nora and were wandering around the Citadel Gardens after getting dinner at Apollo's cafe. Or, Joker was slowly walking while Nora took in all of the different alien plants that were miraculously growing in one place. Joker watched her relax more and more, and felt his heart leap every time that she smiled at him.

It had soon after that gotten dark. What was supposed to have been a quick cut through the gardens back to the docking station turned into a stroll as they realized that in their distractions they had missed their shuttle, and had to wait for the next one. However, the term 'botanical jungle' might have been a more accurate title for where they were now. They were close enough to the station that he could hear the whistle for boarding, yet far enough that he couldn't see or hear any other people. And Joker didn't mind. Nora said that she wanted to see the garden for a long time, and never had the chance to.

"I still can't believe you haven't already been here before. Didn't you say that you spent a lot of your time on the Citadel, when you were younger?" She asked, moving to walk along side him. He kept his eyes forward and cleared his throat.

"Yeah, I was on the Citadel but mostly in a recovery room at Huerta's. After surgeries I didn't have much time to explore."

"Oh. Joker, I am sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"No, Blondie it's fine." A heavy silence passed between them with only the tapping of his crutches on the sidewalk to break it. Joker didn't want to ruin the rest of the night, so he quickly changed the subject.

"So I almost got killed by Prodigy today."

"I almost got killed by a Drell this afternoon!"

She must have had the same intention because they spoke at the same time, breaking the silence together. The casualness of these comments had the desired effect, and in that moment any remaining awkwardness between them disappeared. He glanced over to see Nora looking at him, and she sputtered a small laugh. He laughed too, and both of them were almost doubled over in stitches before they could stop.

"What do you mean a Drell almost killed you?!" He said after he caught his breath.

"Oh, a crazy talented Drell- his name is Kiros, or Kriyes or something like that- transferred late to CITA today, we put him through his paces during Fight Club and he slaughtered everyone- no big deal. Anyway, I would rather hear your story! I am sure she didn't actually try to kill you!"

"No! Seriously, she nearly bowled me over. Like a bowling pin, Blondie! I swear!"

"Joker…"

"Fine. It MAY have been an accident. Maybe."

"JEFF!"

He chuckled. "Alright, alright. It was a total accident. But nevertheless she packs a mean bodyslam."

"Yeah… I have heard stories…"

"And you should have seen the way her crew member Alenko was falling all over her. Like a puppy!"

This stopped her laughing short. "What? I don't know...Alenko?…. I think they are all just really protective? She has taken a lot of bullets for her team- on and off the field."

Joker wasn't convinced. However, his curiosity got the better of him, and he asked her what she meant by 'bullets'.

"Some of the White Titans have quite the adventurous recruitment stories. Prodigy has an interesting way of picking teammates."

"Right, seriously, what's her deal? Why doesn't she just hold auditions like the rest of the crews?"

"Ha, I guess you will have to ask her yourself, Mr. ' _Trial Based Helmsman'."_

"Hey- wha- How did you know about that? Did Garrus say something?" At this she blushed and turned away still grinning.

"Well…" She stalled. Before she could answer the sharp peeling of the shuttle station horn went off. "Whoops, come on Joker! We can't miss our shuttle again!"

"Wait, Blondie! Nora!"

And she sauntered out if the dimly lit garden giggling the whole way with Joker following after her.


	7. Chapter 7

' _The efficiency core grade 87-XA systems requisitions...diplomatic multispecies engineering imperfections…..._ ' Joker couldn't concentrate. No matter how hard he tried to focus on his textbook, the only words he could think about were those from the letter he received three days ago from the White Titans' office. He let out a long sigh, and rubbed his eyes with disappointment. _'Mr. Moreau,_ _It is with our sincerest regret that we inform you that the place of White Titan helmsman and head pilot has been filled…'_ To say that he was disappointed was an understatement. He thought that everything was going according to plan and that he would be able to at least practice with the Titans a few times. But he didn't even get to meet them before he was replaced. Joker knew the student that got the position. His name was Ricky- Ricky Jenkins- and his scores were nowhere near as good as Jokers on Space Flight Sims and planet-side aircraft obstacle runs, _'Nobody's are',_ he thought to himself. _'What kind of a name is Ricky Jenkins anyway? Sounds like a glittery resident of Afterlife if you ask me…'._ Joker thought at first that it was because of the incident of his trespassing after hours near the Battle Crew offices, but Captain Shepard did not seem upset when she walked away from him that night. Besides, there were rumors around the flight class students that it was the authority of CITA that forced Shepard's hand when picking Recruit Jenkins, and while she had to follow their "suggestions", she was unhappy that she didn't get to measure him out herself for the Titans.

Joker slammed his book closed and tossed it haphazardly to the side of his mattress. Rubbing his eyes again, he tried to think about something- anything- to distract from his bitter feelings and jealousy. He knew he was better and sitting and feeling bad for himself was not going to fix anything. If it could, he would have been able to ditch his crutches a long time ago. His thoughts turned to Nora, and he wondered what she was doing. It had been a few days since he had seen her and he was beginning to miss her smile and the way he could easily make her laugh. She was getting busier as the weeks passed, and Fight Club, homework, and heaven knows what else was keeping them apart more and more. Thinking back, Joker had never known someone who said they had to study as much as she did. Hoping for a miracle, he picked up his cell phone and sent her a quick message.

 **Jeff: Hey, want to try to get lunch?**

 **Blondie: I am sorry Joker, I want to but I have a match.**

 **Jeff: Match?**

 **Blondie: Yes, for the Fight Club. CITA is hosting a few schools getting together for a Tournament tonight.**

 **Blondie: Hey, you can come if you want to!**

 **Jeff: Watch some blockhead goliath get beat into the 23rd century by a 5 foot girl scout? I don't know…**

 **Blondie: Very funny, Flyboy. Where do you get your immeasurable charm and wit?**

 **Jeff: It's a gift, Blondie. Sounds fun.**

 **Blondie: Okay! My fight should be around 5:45-ish. Gym block D-24.**

 **Jeff: See you then.**

Joker grinned and picked back up his discarded textbook. Sinking low into his mattress, he opened to a page while pulling down the brim of his CITA ball cap. However, before he got tied up in reading he felt his phone vibrate again on the bed next to him.

 **Blondie: By the way, you are not too far off with that Goliath comment.**

 **Jeff: What do you mean?**

 **Blondie: You will see**

Once Joker found the gym, it wasn't hard to find the room the club was using. There were people filtering in with signs and banners, Joker assumed they were for supporting different fighters and schools. He even thought that he saw a few for Nora, then remembered her telling him a few days after they met that she was a high ranking fighter. Making his way into the gym was like walking into an underground boxing match from old 21st century classics. The sanitary campus of CITA was juxtaposed by the spray paint and posters on the walls and people yelling high up in the stands for their favorite fighters. The stands surrounded a lifted boxing ring on three sides with lights shining on it, while the rest of the room was left dimmer; spotlighting the action of the fights.

In the center of the ring was a swirling tornado of color. Two Drell students were dodging and striking at each other almost faster than anyone's eyes could follow. The two warriors matched each other flawlessly and moved in sync through different styles of what looked to Joker like martial arts. They seemed to be evenly working in a dance-like practice that could have been rehearsed. Joker stopped moving through the small crowd and watched. The swirling stopped when one of the two Drell caught the other in a hold with his green arms holding her around the chest and lower on her stomach. It seemed like the match was over before the other fighter lithely slipped between his arms and his body, over his head to flip him back over her and onto his back. She straddled his body with her arms over his throat, and the match finally ended with him tapping out. Everyone watching cheered and clapped or booed depending on who they were rooting for. Joker was sure that the green scaled Drell would be upset from the loss when he was so close to victory, and was surprised when both relaxed at the bell and the female Drell bent her head down to kiss his cheek. She stood up and bounced around him as he slowly stood up taking his arm she skipped out of the ring, waving to the crowd, while he followed her silently.

"Afternoon, Moreau." Joker turned his neck to see Professor Anderson walking up to stand next to him. He was watching the two Drell as well, who were now talking to other students near the doors to the locker rooms. "Staying out of trouble?"

"Good afternoon, Professor." Joker grinned and nodded back in a greeting. Spending a large chunk of time with Nora these past few weeks frequently brought Joker into the presence of the Admiral turned Professor. He taught a string of courses titled "Tactics of Command on the Battlefield". Joker had heard that it was a fascinating course and some students planned their entire semester to fit his lectures. Almost all students, no matter the species respected him as a professor and mentor, including Joker. "Here to watch Nora?"

"Officially, I am here as an...Objective...representative of the Academy's head council." He cleared his throat, and gestured back to the ring. "But as you may understand, I also find myself personally invested in a fair CITA victory."

Joker glanced back to the center of the room and did a double take. Climbing up onto the ring and through the ropes was a student supporting a different Academy's colors who looked like he was made completely out of nothing but muscle. The shirt he was wearing looked three sizes too small for him which only helped to accentuate his muscles more. All-in-all, he was easily twice the size of a normal student and his tattoos as well as a scar spanning across his cheek made him look like a human version of the White Titan's Krogan member Wrex. _'They would probably be the best of friends if they ever met each other.'_ From the overpowering amount of angry yelling coming from the stands, Joker was assured that he was a member of one of the other schools Nora had mentioned and his opponent was a CITA crowd favorite. A change in the tone of cheering came over the crowd as the doors to the CITA locker rooms opened and Joker watched as Nora emerged. Her long blond hair was tied in a long braid that swung behind her as she jogged, still long enough to reach her lower back. She hopped up to the center ring and climbed gracefully through the ropes. He couldn't help but admire the way her tank top fit snuggly around her waist, as well as the shorts that left most of her long legs bare. She smiled and waved to those watching in the stands before pumping her fists, already wrapped in tape, playfully towards her opponent. Joker smirked. _'He must be the Goliath she was talking about this afternoon.'_

A Turian with a microphone announced the two fighters, but the yelling was loud enough that Joker couldn't make out anything but the name of Nora's behemoth of an opponent- James Vega. He made them shake hands in the middle of the ring before they returned to their corners. Joker didn't realize the extreme difference in their sizes until then, and felt nervous for the first time when he towered over her by at least a foot. Joker knew she was small, he made fun of her for it quite often, but for some reason now it make him uneasy. Aware of the beginning bell, the fighters moved forward and began to circle. Both let out a few loose weighing punches that were easily dodged by the other.

"This is crazy." Joker stated to himself.

"Yes. Crazy is a good description." Anderson smiled but did not look away from his adopted daughter.

"SHE'S crazy." Joker added.

The professor chuckled then. "Yes I believe she is."

"How do you just let her do this to herself, without being worried?"

"She makes her own choices, son. I cannot change her, nor would I want to. It is just the way she is- she strives to seek out challenges to overcome. She has been stubborn and strong willed since I found her- and I am sure long before that as well. It makes her happy to be a strong part of a stronger family, to protect and be protected in return. I try to fully support her and have faith in her success." He let out a small sigh. "However, that does not mean I do not worry. Each time she puts herself in danger like this, I feel the years get shaved off my life."

Joker did not know how to respond to this peculiar insight of his Nora, so he chose to not say anything, and instead return his attentions to the ring. After they felt each other out, Nora kept to the defensive end and let Vega make the first moves. Nora had the speed to keep up with dodging his heavy hits, and she would have to whittle away at his stamina before she could bring him down. Spins and ducking at the least possible moment kept Nora from being overpowered by muscle. Vega began to slow down, feeling the heavy punches he was throwing. As a last resort, he faked an uppercut to the stomach before throwing a wild haymaker with his left hand towards her head. Joker saw that she was surprised, but she recovered quickly and bent backwards so that with a turn of her head his knuckles barely grazed her chin. With the force of his blow he spun around to run into the ropes, following the trajectory of his full body weight. Nora arched her back and used her momentum to flip her feet over her body and straighten out. She brought her fists back up in front of her, bouncing on her feet and looking ready for another round.

She focused with a fire in her eyes that almost brought Joker to his knees. It was a look that reminded him of the first day they met, when she threw herself at a huge Krogan and kept him from getting kicked out of CITA. But this time there was no real danger, and in her face Joker also saw hints of joy. She shined in that moment more than before, and it made him feel something completely different from anything he had felt before. Joker couldn't take his eyes off this angel of battle. Just as much as Nora was a laughing, easygoing girl, inside her there was also a serious fighter, and he was enchanted by both of them. Nora was ready to turn the table and take on the offensive. She successfully broke down Vega's strength, and the avoidance couldn't last much longer. The crowd wanted action; they came for a real fight and a CITA victory. Vega was back up and was getting ready to charge, but Nora was faster and moved in close to him to send three quick jabs to his center. The blows struck just below his ribcage sharp stinging hits. He tried to kick her away, but her reflexes took over as she ducked and spun underneath him to face his back. He spun to face her as she stepped forward to throw her fist again, this time heavier as it made contact with the same exact place as her previous jabs. He doubled over holding his side and she rushed forward to connect her knee with his nose. As he fell for the first time the crowds ignited and cheered for Nora, but there excitement was cut short as Vega reclaimed his footing and stood up, blood dripping from and obviously broken nose. The Turian on the side of the ring announced first blood. James Vega was a heavy hitter and was not going to go down easy. At this point both fighters were breathing heavy, chests rising and falling in sync. Nora was not going to slow down, and again danced forward dodging fists and elbows while striking heavy blows to arms and abdomens. In an effort to get her away from him, he rushed her arms wrapping around her waist before lifting her off the canvas of the ring and throwing her. Her body's first contact with the mat was followed by her head with a heavy crack. Joker watched in horror as she slammed into the ground on her side and rolled across the ring. There was a heavy upset in the crowd, but all Joker could hear was his own heart beating heavily in his ears.

"Nora!" Joker and Professor Anderson had subconsciously moved closer to the center ring through the crowds and were within a few feet from the stage. Anderson grabbed Joker's shoulder and held him firmly, as he stepped forward in an attempt to do something.

"Wait! Calm down, Moreau. She will be alright." Anderson said firmly, assuring himself as much as he was Joker. He seemed to be right, after a moment Nora slowly lifted her head and pushed herself up on her arms before standing and raising her fists in a fighting position. Above her eye was a cut parallel to her eyebrow, and a thin trail of blood ran down her cheek. It took her a moment, but she shook her head and the dazed look left from her eyes leaving behind that same fiery focus as before. She took a whole different style of fighting this time, and Joker realized that this was more intense and deadly. Before, Nora was simply sparring with Vega, but now she was going for the win with no hesitation. She fought the same way as the male Drell from the previous match, almost faster that Joker could follow. She used a perfect mesh of boxing and an alien form Tai Chi, and he was unable to touch her. The match was over in minutes. In Vega's moment of weakness, she jumped on his back wrapping her legs around his chest and took his muscled arms into a hold behind him. He fought to throw her off, but whichever way he moved would pull his shoulders and he let out a groan of pain. James Vega fell to his knees with her still on his back, and with a defeated fall of his shoulders tapped out. The masses of fans erupted in cheers, and so did Joker.

The rest of the matches went by quickly, Nora's match was the third to last and to Joker none seemed as exciting as hers. As the crowds rose to leave, Anderson left Joker to go join the other school officials and take care of administrative duties while Joker went out in search of Nora. The first glance he had was like a fresh breath of air. He would never be able to put into words the relief he felt when he saw that the blood was gone from her face and hair. He found her with some of the other students on the team as well as those from other schools, including the same James Vega she just fought. They were all talking and recounting their matches. He felt strange walking up to her at this moment, surrounded by a bunch of students at their physical peak, especially noticing most of them were other guys. _'What if she doesn't want me to interrupt?'_ In this moment, Joker was very conscious of his crutches and felt a familiar inferiority. She had no reason to want him when she could so easily find a perfect hero. He had made the decision to walk away when one of Nora's companions- the male Drell from the first match Joker saw- noticed him staring and pointed him out. _'Oh, way to go Moreau!'_ he scolded himself. All their heads turned to look at him and he felt all pairs of eyes pull directly to the crutches, like they usually did. All pairs but one. As soon as Nora saw Joker, she turned from her companions, to the obvious chagrin of the guys, and rushed over to him.

"Joker!" She didn't stop when she reached him and to his surprise and pleasure she wrapped her arms around his neck. Joker could smell honeysuckle in her hair, and it reminded her of Tiptree in the spring. After a moment of hesitation, he returned the contact and, while still balancing on his crutches, he folded his arms around her waist. "You came!"

"Sure I did, Blondie. I said I was going to."

"Well, yes, I know but-" But she was interrupted by a boy from another school calling out from the group of fighters.

"Hey, Nora, you still going out with us?"

"Um...Just a minute." She called back. Nora bit her lip and met Joker's eyes. Her expression changed to a smile and she winked. She jogged back over to them and after a moment hugged a few of her teammates. For a moment Joker, saw a flash of jealousy on each of the guys faces as she gestured vaguely in his direction. A few strutted off alone and unhappy while the rest just nodded and all stood to leave in a group. She grabbed her bag from their table before waving and sauntered back to Joker.

"Blondie, if you want to go with them…"

"Oh, it's okay! I would rather stay with you." She asked, her face turning a bit red, "Oh! Unless you have somewhere to go! I don't want to intrude or anything, I-"

"No!" Joker said a little too quickly and reached up to rub the back of his neck. "I mean, I don't have anywhere I need to be." _'Even now she makes me fall all over myself…'_

They both smiled at each other before falling into step out the doors of the gym. By then, all of the crowds were gone, and the area of campus they were walking through was empty. It was late in the in afternoon, almost the evening, and the artificial 24 hour lights of the space station colored a sunset above them.

"Oh, it is almost dark outside..."

"Is everything okay?" Joker asked a concerned Nora.

"Yeah, um, I just didn't know what time it was is all." She looked away nervously.

"How is your head?"

"My head?" She responded reaching up to feel her head. She ran a delicate finger across the faintest of thin white lines above her eyebrow. It was hardly noticeable unless you were looking for it and had spent enough time with Nora to know the details of her face like Joker did. "Oh! Yes, sorry. It's fine. Nurse Michel put a bit of Medi-gel on it. It wasn't too bad."

"That's good. You are really talented…"

"Thanks! The best thing about being on a team with such a wide range of people is that you get to learn techniques from a lot of different styles."

"Well, you killed that guy, so congratulations."

"Thank you, Joker." She smiled.

"Hey, did you hear about the Titan's new pilot?" He asked, unable to look at her face, so instead looking at the nebulas above the space station.

"Yes. I did." She spoke quietly. "I am really sorry Joker. I thought for sure that you would get to fly for the Titans."

"Yeah. So did I, Blondie."

"It is so terribly unfair! Everything was going perfect, but the council had to interfere with their politics…" She frowned.

"So the rumors say. But who knows? Maybe Shepard just didn't want to deal with a cripple on her team."

"Joker…"

"I thought I was doing okay, you know? Setting the bar high and breaking records. But now what am I supposed to do?"

"Jeff, you can still-" Bug Joker didn't want to hear her reassurances. And he pushed off his crutches away from her.

"Just stop it! What am I here for if I am not the best pilot? What's the point of even flying anymore? It's useless! If no one will let me fly, then I am not good for anything!" He shouted.

"Listen, Joker, you are the best pilot!" She answered back, matching his footstep with one of her own. "Don't you see that? You have reached near-perfection with a ship designed to make you mess up, and beaten almost all school records in simulators. You had the attention of the two time champion Battle Crew after 3 weeks of recruit training. And you gathered a great support team behind you! How many other recruits here or anywhere else for that matter can say that all of the flight class professors know how impressive they are?" She said angrily poking a finger into his chest.

"The White Titan's were my _in,_ Nora. They were my chance to prove myself and to be more." He couldn't meet her eyes, and he looked out across the grassy quad. "More than just a… a loser who can't walk." He finished quietly.

"Joker, please look at me…" She waited for him to turn his head and meet her eyes before she continued. "You _are_ more than that. You are great, and funny, and easy to be around. There will be more chances for you to make it." He smiled at her as she looked up at him, her lovely eyes shining as soon as she saw him smile. "You are the most skilled and most passionate...Flyboy I have ever seen." He let out a shallow laugh.

"That's easy for you to say. You are amazing and...beautiful." He didn't mean to say it. Joker spoke before he realized what he was saying. He didn't understand what it was about this girl that made him so comfortable and confused in the same moments. The blue eyes that had Joker hypnotized from day one widened, and she opened her mouth to respond, but at first no words came out.

"You...you think I am beautiful?" she finally whispered.

"Y- I… well-" He stuttered, face turning red. He reached up to pull down his hat to try to somehow hide his embarrassment. She stopped him by taking a final step forward and slowly putting her palms on his chest.

"Promise me?" She gently asked him. "Promise me you will keep flying?"

As she moved closer to him, his hands subconsciously drifted to her waist. They gently settled and as if acting on their own gently pulled her closer. Nora's hands slid up his chest to either side of his neck. His breathing quickened as did hers. Joker studied the way her lips remained parted and before he could talk himself out of it he lowered his neck and finally connect their lips. He pressed his lips gently against hers, and the kiss was soft, tender, and slow. Joker remained frozen for a few seconds, but then he began to move his mouth and she joined him in perfect harmony, slow and steady. Joker moved one hand from her waist slowly to her hair and gently let his fingers get lost in her long blond hair. It was as soft as he thought it would be weeks ago, and be added a small pressure, asking to bring her closer. Nora responded to his request by wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her and adding more pressure to his lips, deepening their kiss.

An alarm sounded out, breaking through the silence. They both jumped and looked around for the source of the noise. Nora scrambled in her bag and found the culprit of the interruption was an alarm in her cell phone, which she proceeded to turn off. It jarred them out of their shared moment and Nora slowly pulled away from Joker's arms.

"I am late." She sighed.

He was worried that he was out of line and tried to formulate an apology until he saw her smiling shyly at him. He smiled back and they just looked at each other for a moment. Again surprising Joker, Nora stepped back close to hug him. She leaned her head on his chest and his arms reflexively reached out to envelop her waist. Just as he imagined weeks ago, the top of her head fit right under his chin, and for another moment they simply stood together. Joker hadn't felt this peaceful in as long as he could remember. However, it was almost completely dark out, and they both knew they couldn't stay there forever. It was her silencing her phone alarm again, however, which actually caused them to reluctantly pull apart.

"Can I walk you home?" Joker asked, breaking the silence.

"I wish you could," She replied. "but I am not actually going home. We have to practice night drills for… class."

"Class? But today's Saturday..."

"I know but the...um, stars are in a prime position tonight. For navigation." _'Navigation? If you say so …'_

"Oh, well then I guess I will see you tomorrow then, Blondie."

"It's still Blondie, then?" She laughed lightly.

"Yep." He grinned.

"Well, then I guess until tomorrow, Flyboy." Nora tapped his cap, and then stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek before turning to walk towards the main arena. Joker simply stood to watch her go before he realized something important.

"Hey, Blondie."

"Yes?" She turned to face him.

"I never answered your question."

"What do you mean? What question?"

"The answer to your question is yes. Yes I think that you, Nora Anderson, are the most beautiful girl I have seen in my entire life."


	8. Chapter 8

Being with Nora was as easy and as effortless as breathing air. When they were together it was simple, and Joker was amazed each day they found to spend time together how natural it felt to have her in his life. She made him feel normal, like to her he was perfect the way he was. She knew him better than anyone else ever had before.

During school they would walk to the classes they had together as first years, and go to breakfast and lunch as often as they could. At first, Joker couldn't help but be bothered by the looks of jealousy or surprise when she held his arm or kissed him goodbye. Before Nora, he always assumed that his disease would keep anyone from thinking of him as more than a charity case and at most a friend, always assuming anyone would be embarrassed or reluctant to be with someone who couldn't even walk by himself. But when he brought it up to her she always dismissed his doubts. She said his crutches didn't matter to her and that they made him who he was.

"They are the reason you have drive. They are your ambition and they will be your power if you let them." she told him.

At night Joker was often busy with flight Sims while Nora was off busy with her many practices as well. Some nights she seemed to be more exhausted and beat up then others, so Joker would wait to walk her to her apartment and they would say goodnight. Other times they would stay together until late into the night, sitting on their bench in the middle of the quad, or inside his flight simulator. They became inseparable in the short span of a few weeks. Only one thing remained a mystery to Joker. They talked about everything; childhood, school, family, hobbies, but she told him little about the time before Professor Anderson found her. When questions came up of times before that, she would always say that she didn't remember before asking him something else and changing the subject. Joker knew there was something she was avoiding, and it seemed strange to Joker that she kept it secret from him, but he knew that she must have had a good reason for not telling him. He understood what it was like to have walls. Whenever she could find the time between classes, studying, and sparring she was in Professor Mordin's Lab Bay with Joker while he practiced with the Miritrix. The days she came were the days he chose the most challenging courses and flew harder, faster, and better.

As for the White Titans, Joker was following closely to see how they were doing with a barely decent recruit like Jenkins for a pilot. Luckily there had not been any off-planet matches, so the only dangers the Titans faced were bumpy rides in their Kodiak shuttle or the Makos. Kodiaks were as basic as it gets, and Jenkins' choppy maneuvers assured Joker and everyone else watching that he wouldn't have been picked by Shepard. He didn't meet the standards set by the elite of the academy, and was nowhere near good enough for Shepard and the Titans.

The day of the Titan's first off-planet mission came. For the next two days, all the Crews would be planet side light years away somewhere fighting while the entire galaxy watched. Classes for this match had been cancelled as well, and there was a rumor going around that all the Crews were to somehow all be challenged against each other. Nora was half way across the galaxy at a Fighting tournament on Illium, so with nothing else planned for the morning Joker returned early to his apartment from his morning Flight Sim.

He had decided on the necessity of a day of studying and then later that afternoon he was going to return to Mordin's Lab to get a few more hours of Sim time in. He was vaguely aware of some stomping up and down the hall outside, and a deep voice yelling what sounded like "Human!". He shook his head, thinking it was a bunch of fans getting ready for the match. Joker nearly jumped out of his skin when the door to his room was suddenly thrown open and it crashed against the wall. A few books fell off of the shelf from the shaking and in his surprise he knocked over a few things on and around his desk. He spun around in his desk chair to see none other than the Krogan member of the White Titans- Wrex "the Tank"- squeezing through his doorway in full armor. He was followed by Garrus Vakarian.

"What the-"

"HUMAN! Battlemaster wants you!" He growled.

"Um..."

"Now!"

"What's going on?!"

"Recruit Moreau, Jenkins is out." Garrus stepped forward and picked up Joker's crutches from the foot of the desk. They had fallen when Joker spun in his chair.

"Quickly, Joker. We need a pilot. Are you in?" Garrus held them out to him. Thinking back to this moment, Joker would like to have said he rationally took the time and considered his answer. But before he could weigh his choices, his instincts answered for him. The next thing he knew he was rushing through CITA's halls trying his best to keep up with the two soldiers. He tried asking questions but they were mostly ignored. Looking around, Joker realized that they were in the same hallway where he first met Captain Shepard weeks ago.

He almost ran into the back of the enormous Krogan when they suddenly stopped in front of a normal looking office door. Through the door was a long hallway that led to an elevator.

"Get in." Wrex called to him from inside. The elevator lowered them down, and opened into an expensive looking locker room. Silver colored lockers and wooden benches bordered the wall to his left and right, some with plaques above reading names of the current crew; _Archangel, Tank, GUNNY, LT, Trinity._ The rest of the walls were covered in various pieces of equipment. With a door in the middle of the wall straight ahead. On the door was a plaque that read _Captain's Office._ Joker recognized two of the crew already there getting dressed as Alenko and Williams. They were the two who were with Prodigy the day they first met. And although he couldn't see her face, Joker assumed the Quarian was the same girl he had seen his first day at CITA- when she was first recruited. As Garrus Vakarian and Wrex moved past him to join their team, Joker realized the entire White Titan battle crew was gathered just feet in front of him. ' _What Hillary wouldn't give to be here right now…'_ he thought to himself in awe. None even spared him a look as they finished attaching pieces of armor and prepared for the next 48 hours.

The crew snapped to attention in unison as the door in the front of the room had arched open, and a figure that couldn't have been anyone but Captain Shepard stepped out. The room went completely silent. She was already fully dressed including her Sleek helmet, as well as fully armed with weapons strapped to her back and waist with knife holsters on her thighs.

"Good morning, Titans." This was followed by a chorus of 'mornings' and 'Captain's.

"Approximately 26 minutes ago, I received a transmission outlining the details of the next match. You all are familiar enough by now with how this works to know that as of 0900 this morning, the challenge has been initiated and we are to receive no help and accept no hints from outside sources unless explicitly asked for and approved by the head chairs of CITA." There was a heavy pause before she continued. She looked straight at Joker. "You may have all noticed, but I am formally announcing that we are joined here by CITA first-year flight class recruit Jeffrey Moreau. He will take point as acting helmsman, head driver, and pilot- as well as our voice and connection to our ship and transportation- for a duration of time until recruit Richard Jenkins can be formally replaced."

Surprised glances were shot between the crew members before all eyes turned to fall on him. There was a heavy silence, and Joker realized they were waiting for him to say something. He cleared his throat and swallowed.

"Um...Call me Joker." Captain Shepard offered him a nod before continuing to speak, drawing the attention of the crew back to her.

"It is especially vital that we have a capable driver today, as this will be our first off-planet mission. Our playing field is a large underground mining facility and surrounding area on a small planet called Therum, in the Artemis Tau cluster. We will be travelling through most of the day, perhaps into the night, and we will pass through a series of relays. We will fly as near as we can to the planet's surface before taking the Mako the rest of the way in." A collective groan traveled around the room. "I know, I know, and I am sorry. But rest assured that the next trip will not be as much of a disaster as the last one."

"Well that depends Shepard, are you driving?" Garrus asked with a snort. This was followed by a collection of laughter and even Shepard shook her head good-naturedly.

"As long as you don't touch the steering wheel I am sure we don't have anything to worry about!" Williams added chuckling.

"I have more scars from your driving than ten thresher maws, Battlemaster!" Wrex's voice boomed.

"Alright, Alright! Quiet down! Remember who your Captain is!" Shepard commanded, but Joker could tell that behind her helmet she was grinning. "As I was saying, we will take the Mako in to the entrance of the facility and go inside all together. Half of CITA's crews are assigned to this mission, while the other half were sent to another planet for a separate battle. They will be simultaneously played and followed by the media. Luckily Saren and his Reapers have already checked in on their way to Eden Prime and will not trouble us this time around." This encouraged a number of excited responses. Joker was also relieved- he saw how the Shadow Reapers treated their enemies in the preseason scrimmage, and did not want to face that first hand.

"This next part is important so please listen up. All our previous matches have been in neutral fields that are designed to be challenging, but safe. This is a real world setting with third party danger. The mining facility is likely to have functioning private security as well as the close proximity to live magma veins. Make sure you are paying full attention to your surroundings. Posted somewhere inside is a CITA beacon sending out a signal. Our mission and the mission of the other crews is to get to this beacon first and protect it from all others. After entering the mine, we will split into two teams to cover more ground and efficiently achieve our objective. Other than that, we will treat the next two days just like any other match or practice drill- by giving one hundred percent. It is Us. Against. Them. One fractured enemy. We are outnumbered- but they are OUTMATCHED. You are the best of the best. The strongest. The smartest. The fastest. Chosen for your skills alone. We are the elite. We are a hand-selected, perfectly syncing, TEAM. And we are not going to let them beat us today."

"No, ma'am!"

"And we are not coming home tomorrow without OUR beacon."

"No, ma'am!"

"Who are we?"

"The Titans."

"WHO ARE WE?"

"THE TITANS!"

"Good. Everyone grab your gear and don't forget anything. We move out in five."


	9. Chapter 9

In every action vid Joker had ever watched while lying in hospitals, there was a moment where the entire team of good guys walks together looking awesome and ready for a fight. Only in his wildest dreams did he imagine that he would be there along with the heroes, crutches and all, ready for a fight. Given- he wouldn't be doing any actual fighting, but walking towards CITA's docks surrounded by Shepard's armored crew, all armed to the teeth, Joker was still feeling extremely overwhelmed and even a bit nauseous. _'Deep breaths, Moreau. You are the best flight recruit CITA's seen in years. You can do this. You can-"_

"Are you ready, Moreau?" A muffled voice came from behind him on his left, followed by the armored form of Captain Shepard. He caught his reflection in her visor and almost laughed realizing that THE PRODIGY had to look up at HIM, even when he was leaned over his crutches. This soldier was only an inch or two taller than Nora- and that easily could have been the Captain's combat boots. _'What is it with all these tiny chicks?'_

"Sure thing, Ma'am." He finally answered trying to look confident and not like a moron. Joker heard a sharp snort from behind his back.

"Shepard, I am not so sure this is a good idea… I mean… A first year recruit? Have you even actually made a live relay jump?"

"Only once." Joker mumbled. The satisfied look on Alenko's face lit a fire inside him. He cleared his throat. "Yeah, ages ago. I stole a battle cruiser and flew it through the Citadel before jumping to the Sahrabarik system. I made it passed Bindur and halfway through the second asteroid field before Citadel C-Sec officers could catch up with me. I was on my way to Omega so I wouldn't get arrested." For a moment all Joker could hear was the echo of heavy footsteps and tapping of his crutches. Then the tension broke as entire team excluding Alenko burst into laughs. Joker received a number of heavy pats on the back- one extra crippling from the Krogan. _'Jeez… easy!'_

"Leave it to Battlemaster to find the only flight student around here with a quad!" Wrex's voice boomed echoing through the halls.

"What is it like traveling through a relay?" The Quarian, Tali'Zorah, asked dreamily. Like Shepard, she was wearing her entire suit including her helmet. "The migrant fleet's ships are so very large we can't feel it that much. Anyways, we travel through relays so rarely."

"What is it humans say? 'It knocks your socks off'?" Garrus answered making Tali giggle. "Or in this case maybe it was his hat?"

"Yeah, about the hat- You shouldn't be wearing it anyways. We have a uniform." Alenko chided silencing the crew.

"The hat stays." Joker answered coldly. _'What is this guy's problem?!'_

"Recruit, for professionalism's sake I suggest-"

"Enough Alenko!" Shepard spoke up. "The hat stays. It's not a big deal."

"But Captain, the regs say that-"

"What has gotten into you? Since when do the Titans care about those regs? We all bend the rules somehow. Garrus wears a visor so personalized it's silly-"

"Hey!"

"Wrex's armor is covered in scratches and bullet holes-" The Krogan released a growl and pounded his fists together.

"Don't forget my blades aren't exactly standard CITA grade." Shepard finished. "The only one of us who actually follows all the rules is Tali. And that is only because I haven't convinced her to upgrade to prototype hacking gear. And if you want to remain on your high horse, you can give back the Combat Sensor VII I bought you for your birthday last month. I am sure that your old III is in the Axis' basement somewhere."

"What's the Axis?" Joker mumbled to Garrus, who had come to stand next to him while Shepard scolded to Alenko.

"It's the Titan's…uh... headquarters, I guess. Most of us live there so we don't have to pay rent." He replied softly.

"... You were invited to join the Titans because you are a good crew member. A strong fighter. You are loyal and you follow orders. Right now you're still being a good _soldier_ , but maybe not the best person, Kaidan. Think about it. And anyway, I like the hat," She offered Joker a glance. "so the hat can stay. Are you all done wasting time?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Good."

The Titans lightly bantered with each other while they hurried the rest of the way to the docks, and Joker couldn't help but notice that they acted more like a family than an elite team of the best warriors in the galaxy... Garrus and Wrex argued who was a more effective teammate until they decided that the only way to know for sure was to create a headcount for the upcoming match. This was joined by Ashley, who playfully joked that no alien was as quick as she was when bringing down the mark Shepard had given her. Only Alenko stayed silent and seemed extra broody. The Quarian, who shyly but formally introduced herself to Joker as Tali'Zorah nar Rayya knew a lot about the inner workings of a good ship, and together they tried to break down exactly what made the best Frigate. She was extremely passionate about everything she talked about, easily excited, and reminded Joker EXACTLY of Hilary. _'It's actually kind of creepy how similar they are…'_ he thought to himself.

As the team made their way toward the end of the docks, Tali'zorah had to drag Joker passed the real versions of the ships he had mastered in his many hours of practice on the simulators. The Cornucopia, the Corsica, and Leipzig all sat like shining beacons tempting Joker to abandon all he was doing. _'It would be so easy…'_ He almost forgot that he had a mission passing by a Turian freighter model, knowing that they reserved the simulation codes for upperclassmen only, and actually did stumble only saved by Garrus' Turian reflexes when he recognized the familiar silhouette of the Miritrix. Joker was halfway convinced that he had died and gone to heaven.

"You can put your tongue back in your mouth, Recruit. You haven't seen anything yet." Williams grinned at him. By the looks on the other members' faces, most were enjoying the unexpected enthusiasm that shined through him when surrounded by next generation flight technology.

"What do you mean? We aren't taking the Miritrix?"

"Uh… No. Why would we?"

"I don't know. I just thought we would be taking something I had practice with. How do any of you know I can even do it? None of you have ever seen me fly before. But you know I can fly her."

"Well, Shepard has assured us you can fly anything."

"Oh." Was all he ended up saying, because he was too shocked to say anything else.

"Besides- we _have_ a ship." Ashley added pointing to the end of the dock.

Joker's jaw dropped, and that was the last time he ever thought about the Miritrix.

Joker sat deep in thought, barely noticing galaxies and nebulae pass by. He already successfully passed through two relays and, as ordered by Shepard, was manually piloting to the next instead of continuing the chain of relays. She suspected that there would be a crew waiting with cannons ready to fire at the next relay and after discussing it with Joker and the Titans she decided they would risk the few extra hours it would take to bypass it. The Captain considered everyone's opinion, including Joker's to his great surprise. He had his doubts at first; years of pity and false compassion led him to worry that Shepard would simply use him like a tool or a publicity stunt before ignoring him. But now he had hope that maybe Shepard wanted him there after all.

The Normandy was exactly the ship he should have expected from the Titans. An elite technological breakthrough for an elite team. Joker admired the sleek profile of the ship for as long as he could before Tali had practically shoved him into the helm. Pulling away from the docks, Joker had barely held down his nerves as he put into play the months of practice and tried as hard as he could to look as confident as he wished he felt. He couldn't imagine the laughing stock he would become with the other flight students if he totaled the White Titan's ship before they even left CITA. Once safely pulled away, the crew stopped crowding the helm, leaving to the lower levels of the ship with mumbles of "Too late now"s and "Don't you dare kill us, Recruit"s. He was used to people underestimating him because of his disease, and almost expected this from everyone. Only Shepard had remained, standing arms crossed behind her back, and with a silent nod of confidence, reassured him that for whatever reason she had complete faith in him.

The entire day consisted of Joker flying towards Therum for the actual match. It went flawlessly and Joker was proud of the time he made getting the Normandy to the planet and into a cloaked orbit. By the time Tali had hacked the beacon's signal to find the location on the northern hemisphere dusk had fallen on the mining facility. According to CITA's guidelines, LAVA flares and creatures of Therum were too dangerous for a mission this early in the season, so all battles were to be paused at sunset. Shepard called for a drop in the Mako at the facility's dawn the next day.

Joker was exhausted and decided to autopilot the orbit, get up and find his way to the Normandy's mess hall for some food. All he could think while taking the elevator to the second level was how slow it moved. ' _You would think that such a high-tech ship would have this problem solved…'_ Even before the elevator doors opened and he came around the corner to the open mess area, Joker could hear the debate and ribbing of the rest of the Titan's. The deep growl of Wrex's voice juxtaposed Tali'Zorah's voice that, though it was through a mask, still rang higher than the rest. He had hoped that they wouldn't all be gathered, not wanting them all to see his struggle to balance while getting his food. Over the years he had learned how to work around the problems he faced in the everyday, but that didn't mean that it was a pretty process. He passed by the table they were gathered around trying not to drag attention to himself and opened the fridge marked LEVO.

"...But honestly, we _can_ all agree that Professor Verner's 'History of Spectres and Their Effects on Modern Day Justice' class is ridiculous!"

"Agreed! His romanticized version of every Spectres wild contributions to the benefits of society is complete nonsense!"

"Not to mention he's a complete moron. -Hey! Do you all remember that one time Verner formally invited Prodigy to come in and talk about his conspiracy theory that ' _the illuminated Captain Shepard'_ is a Spectre spy and No-" Kaidan was quickly cut off by Ashley elbowing him in the side. She directed an obvious glance at Joker, "Oh. I mean, Shepard had to submit a formal apology for 'denying our class her presence?'" This raised a few laughs. Joker caught on that they were keeping some sort of secret but didn't have any idea what it could be.

"I heard that next week, Professor Solus' Lab hours are going to include a member of each group getting injected with Scale-Itch while the rest try and develop the cure."

"No! You don't think he would do that… do you?!" Tali asked, covering her mask with her hands. "Isn't that disease only spread you know...when varren… you know…"

"I know he would! He is Mordin after all!" Garrus assured while Wrex just filled the mess with booming guffaws.

"I don't know Vakarian… is that even legal?"

"Human!" The Krogan spoke up. Joker had simply been watching the discussion, and it took him a moment to realize that Wrex was referring to him. "I see you go in the Salarian's Lab often. Almost every day. You are familiar with his ways? Yes?"

"Uh, I suppose, yeah."

"You think he would, or no? Prove to these pyjacks that they may need to fear a little Itch!" He grinned wickedly. Again, all eyes fell on Joker and he felt like he was the new toy that Mom, or in this case the Captain, brought her kids to play with. ' _I don't think they would want my real answer…"_

"Is that something you are familiar with, Big Guy?" He diverted. Joker hoped he wasn't about to get his bones broken by an insulted tank when the Krogan's face fell open. But after a silent moment, he realized he had nothing to fear.

"BHAHAHA!" Wrex boomed, voice echoing down the corridor with sleeper pods and up the stairs. "YOU SURE DO HAVE A QUAD. You I like, HUMAN! Make some room, Pyjacks!"

They continued to talk about professors and classes, like Joker imagined would only happen at a normal high school. It was still strange to him that these highly trained soldiers could also be just like normal people. The general agreement was that the best professor was obviously Professor Anderson. This made Joker think of Nora, and he wondered how she was doing in her competition. They had barely been together a few weeks, and he already missed her. _'Since the Captain and Garrus Vakarian are so close, she probably knows Nora, too.'_

"Hey, where's Shepard?"

"Oh, she's always spent most of the travel time during away matches in her office planning our game strategy. Each mission she changes our main positions a bit. You know; who takes point, who stays on her six during assaults. That kind of stuff. It throws off the opponent." Ashley spoke from behind her holo-pad. Joker could just make out the title from across the table, and read it backwards. It was titled Elanus' Complete Rifle Encyclopedia'. _'Huh...Ashley GUNNY Williams makes a lot more sense now…'_ "She's good with that kind of planning stuff. Always six steps ahead of her opponent."

"Shepard says that she already knows if she is going to win or lose before she even starts fighting." Tali added with something that could easily be taken as idolization in her voice.

"So she's someone you don't want to play chess with?" Joker questioned.

"No, that wouldn't be a great idea." Ashley continued. "Last season we _used_ to play cards during down time on missions."

"Used to? What happened, did Captain Shepard find out and get upset?" Joker asked.

"No, that wasn't the problem. The problem was Shepard started playing with us and _never lost_. Not once. I lost track of the credits I owe her, luckily she never came to collect. Kaidan would be broke if she ever did."

"Hey! We ALL lost. It's distracting to play against her. No- not like that, I didn't mean- ugh! She has no tells!" Kaidan countered blushing.

"That is what makes her a strong immovable battlemaster." Wrex cheered pumping his fists together.

"Yeah, that and she cheats." Garrus trilled across the table from Wrex. He was barely paying attention, twiddling with the wires in his visor, and hardly spoke a word until now.

"No, she would never cheat!" Kaidan argued. Garrus just rolled his eyes in response.

"What's wrong? Your lady love too much of a princess to cheat at cards?" Ashley taunted.

"You and Shepard?" Joker started to ask, eyebrows raised, genuinely surprised and another strange feeling he could not name. _'The Captain wouldn't…. Would she?'_

"Ha! He wishes!"

"Hey, I just really know her well, okay Ash? And who knows…we spend a lot of time together training. And she focuses a lot on helping me train...Maybe she feels the same about me as I do her. And is just too shy or waiting for the right time. Maybe it's because she is my Captain. It wouldn't be appropriate."

"Sorry, Alenko, but Shepard doesn't have those feelings. But don't worry, it's not just you. Haven't you heard the rumors? The N7 spy training final test is a surgery that disables the part of the brain that creates emotions. Now she's just a cold blooded killing machine!" Everyone laughed and even Tali was giggling behind her hands. "So now, even Garrus is a third wheel to Shep and her knives!"

" 'Shep and her knives?' " a voice came from behind the counter. Everyone was too distracted listening to Ashley and Kaidan bicker that no one had noticed Captain Shepard walk down the stairs from her quarters. Now she leaned over the island, apple in hand, listening to them talk about her.

"Captain!"

"Ma'am we were just messing around!"

"Don't worry, Ash. I didn't hear much. Just the end." Shepard assured her worried team. To Joker's surprise, she then addressed him. "Moreau. I need to see you in the med bay."

"Uh, yeah Shep- Captain." He corrected himself. He stood up and followed her. He was never one for authority, but this was his chance and he couldn't blow it because of some claimed "disrespect".

"Anyway, if you truly knew her, you would _know_ she cheats." Joker heard Garrus mumble behind them.

"Sit down there, Recruit." She said pointing towards one of the beds in the brightly lit med bay. .

"Sure… um. Captain. Ma'am..." _'Eloquent, Moreau.'_

"Please, just Shepard. You don't have to call me that. Besides I am, technically, not your captain." She was rifling through different drawers and cabinets, tapping her fingers on the counter, not finding what she was looking for.

"Right…" He said slowly. She started spinning around and re-searching drawers, "Are you okay?"

"Of course, I just- Aha!" She dragged a silver box out from under the desk. She opened it and pulled out an intense metal spine shape that looked like it belonged in a 21st century sci-fi movie. _'What the-'_

"Know what this is, Recruit?" She asked, pushing different buttons and connecting pieces to extend it. She leaned on the bed Joker was sitting on and focused on the strange machine like it was a puzzle. _'Or a bomb…_ ' He smirked to himself. She was holding it so close to her face that it was almost knocking on her helmet.

"It's...obviously...the apparatus that is...going to turn me into a crutch carrying Doctor Octopus. Right?" He replied sarcastically. She froze and turned to stare at him. Even though he couldn't see her face it was obvious that her jaw dropped.

"Oh man, you are a total geek." She laughed. "It's your temporary implant. So that the Titans aren't disqualified. We obviously didn't have time to get a real one installed, and as neither of us knew about you flying for us until this morning, I didn't order one. Depending on how these next few days go I will need to get a word to Chakwas. This one is not as comfortable as the real one. It itches a bit."

"Oh, so no super powers?"

"Hilarious, Moreau. Lay down on your stomach."

"Man. Do I have to take off my hat?" He joked while he maneuvered to follow her order... His only reply was a snort through the mic in her helmet.

"No. But you do have to take off your shirt." For some reason, he felt unnerved taking his shirt off in front of his Captain. The years of crutches gave him a defined body, though lean, but there were scars along his back and curving to his ribs. His Vrolik's was the worst in his legs, but did also make the rest of his body susceptible to danger. Surgeries stacked on surgeries to heal broken ribs caused by pressure, wrong movements and falls. He had been shirtless in plenty of doctor's offices before, but the Captain was not a doctor. He decided to deflect his nerves with humor.

"If you wanted to see me shirtless, you could have asked."

"Cute. Don't move, Moreau." Joker heard some whirring and clicking sounds before a cold piece of metal was set on his back from his neck down to his lower back. He couldn't help but flinch expecting cold, heavy armored gloves, but her working was more gentle than he expected, and he realized when soft warm fingers arranged the pieces of his implant that the noises he heard were that of her taking off her armored gloves.

"This isn't going to hurt, Moreau, but it may take some time. Because of your condition I have to take special care to not hit any vertebrae."

All he could think while she worked was that he was surprised that she had such soft hands.

I am back! I am so, so sorry, It has been a long time!

A few things!

I know it takes me a while to post SOOO I made a tumblr so that I can update you all a bit more on my progress and thought process. You can all talk mo me there! PLease comment there or here on what you feel. I REALLY do want to know, I promise!

I know SSV Normandy doesn't have elevator, but…. Artistic license?


	10. Chapter 10

"We made it to the dig site, Moreau. Not much resistance yet. A few members of the Crimson Calvary just outside the entrance, nothing we couldn't handle. We are going into the facility soon, I will give it four more minutes. Just wait for my mark. Be aware radio signal might be a bit choppy when we go down." Joker didn't know what they were waiting for, but in the 22 hours that he had known the enigma of a person he realized that although she had many strange quirks, every move she made was thought out in the highest degree.

He thought back on each of the occasions even her small actions confused him. They all turned out to be strategized according to heavy planning and a strangely whole and astute understanding of her surroundings. She seemed to always know everything going on and, apparently, everything that would go on. Earlier that morning he had made his way down to the mess hall for an early breakfast before dawn, and the beginning of the day he was expecting to be long, and hard. He was sitting at the counter eating, Tali to his left fiddling with wires and pulling random pieces from a box of scraps next to her on floor. She was so focused and completely oblivious to her surroundings that when he rummaged through the fridge and cabinets, less than gracefully, and finally sat down next to her she didn't even flinch. It was almost too quiet, they were the only two there and only the occasional sigh from her helmet comm broke through the silence. The elevator hissed open and Joker couldn't help but watch as Shepard stepped off the elevator and joined them in the kitchen area. This was only the second time he had really seen her, and he would be lying if he said in that moment he didn't feel the awe and worship tugging on him from the full armor she was still wearing. She tapped the brim of his warn hat down in front of his eyes as she walked by him and he tried the best he could to scold her, but the small shaking of her shoulders showed that she was laughing inside her helmet. He felt a small smile pull at his lips and he didn't know why. As he readjusted his hat on his head, she grabbed a glass from one of the cabinets and filled it almost to the brim with water. He was preparing to make some kind of joke surrounding drinking through the helmet when she again reached over and grabbed his hat, this time taking it all the way off his head and setting it on the counter in front of him while setting the glass on the corner of the counter on the opposite side of Tali, near the edge. She bent over and hoisted Tali's box of tech walking behind him and setting in back on the floor on the opposite side of him with a heavy thud. The Quarian was still oblivious, but Joker was genuinely confused and now looked at her with an eyebrow raised. She didn't seem to notice as she pulled a dishtowel out of a drawer and spread it on the floor near yet another corner of the counter, the one farthest away from him. Next, she opened the fridge and pulled out a strange bottle of black syrupy liquid, slightly straining to twist and loosen the cap before setting it back gently in the door- even taking the time to twist it slightly to return it to the exact position it was in before- seemingly untouched, simultaneously grabbing a straw from a cabinet above and setting it next to the fridge. As if her actions were a well rehearsed dance, she flowed into reaching back into the fridge and pulling out from it, of all things, a magazine for a gun. Shepard set it on counter, and the captain of the most illustrious and powerful battle crew, two time champion competitor, and literal gladiator powerhouse…..dragged a stool over to the cabinets for a boost. _'She's actually standing on tiptoes to reach the top'._ She pulled a surprisingly colorful box out of the top shelf of the cabinet and jumped down, metal boots clunking heavily on the floor of the mess. She reached into the box and pulled out a small package. The box had a label on it that he couldn't read, but what he could read almost made him laugh, because written in thick black marker were the words ' **SHEPARD ONLY.** ' and below it ' **THAT MEANS YOU, VAKARIAN!** ' She took the box and knelt down, shoving the entirety of the box into a large pot and covering it with the lid. Joker was still watching her when she turned to him, paused and reached down to pull out another small package. She replaced the lid and closed the cabinet pulling the stool back to the island counter in front of him. She finally left, but not before covering one of the packages with his hat, then holding up her finger to her helmet where her mouth would be- the universal sign for 'quiet'. He was lost, that was the biggest collection of randomness he had ever seen.

Her entire display came to light when he was joined by a busy crew of Titans. First came Kaidan. He was sweaty and had obviously been working out downstairs in the Hangar area where the team practiced, sparred, and kept their equipment. Panting, he rushed over to the counter and gulped down half of the glass of water before setting it down on the other side of the counter, wiping the sweat off his face with the towel around his neck, and heading to the Men's room, mumbling about a shower. Williams came next searching viciously for something, starting by rifling through the papers on the table in the middle of the room before moving to the counter. She was haphazardly throwing things around all over the place, knocking various papers and equipment to the floor. She shoved a plate across the counter, which slid into a bowl with a big spoon balanced on top. The spoon was knocked off balance and fell into the now half full glass of water- effectively pushing it over the edge of the counter. The dish fell and Joker winced, waiting for the crash of shattered glass, but it never came. Instead, Ashley bent over to pick up and set the glass in the sink, as well as a now very wet towel- the same one that Shepard had set down earlier. 'That's lucky' was all the feat drew out of the weapons specialist who must have thought that the whole thing was a coincidence. She didn't know that the place the glass fell was the same place that there was until recently a box of electrical equipment, which would have been flooded with water if Shepard hadn't moved it. She must have also known where Alenko would leave his glass and that Ashley would knock stuff over. _'What the he-'_ With a loud and successful 'Aha!' she finally spotted the magazine on the counter and left. Tali finally returned to the present to set down her tools and walk to the fridge, opening it and grabbing the familiar black bottle.

"Did you know," she said to Joker, "that these bottles used to come closed so tight that I couldn't open them?"

He could only shake his head.

"Well, I am glad they fixed it. These are my favorite!" She said cheerfully. She turned her head both directions and started to spin, opening drawers. _'The straw…'_

Heavy steps from behind alerted him to another Titan interrupting his breakfast. Joker knew that they were not the terrifyingly solid steps of a Krogan, so that only left Garrus. Joker liked Garrus. Sometimes when Joker would meet up with Nora after classes, Garrus would be there and they would talk, as well as his frequent attendance to Nora's matches. They would cheer together and when she won she would wave at them with the brightest smile on her face, usually there was blood too, which Joker knew he would never get used to. For the first few weeks, it was hard for Joker to understand their attachment, and he even found himself slightly jealous of their relationship. Even now weeks later he still didn't fully understand, but he no longer worried about it, assured that it was very similar to his relationship with his own sister, Hilary. Protective, caring, and always wanting what is best. But brotherly. They actually had very similar senses of humor, and both wanted what was best for Nora. They bonded holding each other back from attacking her more aggressive opponents, and more frequently holding Anderson back, which sometimes took the both of them.

Garrus came in and reached around Tali to hand her the straw directly on the counter behind her. She grabbed her drink and left, leaving just the two of them. He cleared his throat looking around and releasing and involuntary rumble. He looked… guilty?

"Seen Shepard?" he asked voice an octave too high. He winced and cleared his throat again. The image of Shepard holding up her finger flashed into his head.

"Uh...nope."

Garrus nodded quickly, and with another quick glance around tried to nonchalantly reach behind him onto the highest shelf of the cupboard, which his alien height offered him relatively easy access to. He let out a Turian curse under his breath and then arched his neck up to peer over the shelf.

"Lose something?" Joker swallowed a smirk.

"I swear I found it!" He growled.

"Found what?" Joker asked, trying as hard as he could to fake innocence.

"Her stash! Shepard has this candy sold only on Mindoir, her home colony. And they are Dextro/Levo friendly. Are you sure she didn't come move them?" Joker glanced down at his hat. He just nodded his head, afraid his voice would give him away. Garrus left grumbling to himself.

Waiting until he was sure Garrus was gone, Joker lifted his hat to look closer at the gift Shepard had given him. She planned it all out. Saw through every event that happened, and kept perfect control of everything. Thinking about it, the only time he had ever caught her surprised was that evening on academy campus when they collided all those weeks ago. But even then, she had instantaneously flipped them over so that she would be the one to fall and support him…. So he wouldn't break any bones….Like she knew he could…

…..

"Moreau, report." A distant voice dragged him out of his thoughts. He had to blink a few times and shake his head to clear the train of thought. "Moreau? Do you copy?"

"Uh, sorry! Williams and Tali are almost done searching the refinery. They met some trouble with the Heart Hunters and Ashley was hit in the shoulder, but she should be alright. According to Tali's triangulation, the beacon's signal should be inside a 100 yard radius of your target location. The Mako and I are back at the Normandy, cloaking device is activated, and prepared for extraction. Just waiting for you to grab the beacon."

"Careful Recruit, you almost sound optimistic." Shepard joked. "By the way, Wrex would like me to tell you, and I quote, 'You could have dropped us off a little closer to our target, Human'."

"Tell him I say he could use the exercise."

"Will do." She snorted. "Activating helmet cams now, you should be able to see what we see. Keep sharp. We need you for extra eyes."

"Waiting for transmission…...got it." Joker flicked through checking camera transmitters on his screens at the Normandy's helm. When he got to Alenko's he had a full view of Shepard waving at him with a very sharp, very long knife.

"Ha. Nice. Where do you even keep that, Shepard?" he taunted.

"Nowhere you need to know, _Flight Recruit_." She quipped back.

"Well, now I am curious, _Captain_." He grinned. A moment later, he heard a high pitched buzzing sound coming from the speakers at the helm.

"Oh _great_ , wave to the fans everyone." Shepard mumbled. Joker saw through the video feed on their helmets that cameras were hovering and circling them- capturing the proceedings of the match for fans watching back home.

"Camera shy, Captain?" he smirked.

"Maybe I'm just not very photogenic, Moreau."

"I don't know about that, you kinda look like a tough, short knight going to storm the castle, slay the dragon, save the damsel in distress, and then get married and live happily ever after. Now all you need is the trusty steed."

"Seeing as _you_ dropped us off, I guess I must have ridden in on an ass."

"Ouch. Words hurt, Captain."

"What are you humans talking about?!"

"Nothing, Wrex. Tell you later." She responded, checking her scanners.

"Don't worry, Captain. You can always wear heels to the wedding." Joker heard Kaidan mumble something, only understanding words like 'professionalism' and 'respect'. But his jokes obviously didn't bother Captain Shepard because she only scoffed.

"Time to get moving. How many fingers?" She held up her hand behind her in front of Wrex.

Joker flicked through his screens to Wrex's helmet camera.

"Ha. Just the one."

"Helmet cams seem to be functioning properly. We are good to go. Activating door now. Kaidan, Garrus, Wrex, Expect heavy resistance. The target's signal is still stationary, which is good for us. But we don't know how many teams have already gotten inside. Eyes open."

"We are definitely late to the party, Shepard." Garrus groaned stepping over an eliminated Asari in bright yellow armor. She and her entourage walked through yet another room full of eliminated crew members, casting a dull red glow on the Titans' armor.

"Maybe she should have driven faster." Joker ribbed. She ignored the universal groans over the comms. When the crew first complained, Joker thought that they were exaggerating, but seeing first person the rally race that was the Captain's driving, he knew that their complaining was well deserved. He thought he would break every bone in his body just being in the Mako with her.

"What's that phrase, Boys? Cleverly waiting for the right moment to strike?"

"Can't say I've heard it." He added, comparing what she was looking at to the schematics he had on one of his holoscreens. "Looks like it's the lift on your right, Captain."

"Got it." The four of them loaded into the elevator after one last look around. Shepard punched a panel on the inside of the elevator and it groaned before falling down slowly into the cavern area below. She stowed her weapon and turned to Garrus, Wrex and Kaidan. For some reason, Joker felt like she was staring into his own eyes instead, and he was paralyzed by the intensity.

"Listen, these 'capture the flag' missions always have a pattern- an order of execution. The first in never lasts. We have studied the tactics of matches like this in the history of Academy Team Battle. A trap will be set for those who are stupid enough to think they will rush in heroes. That must have been the enabled security system disabled in the entrance tunnel, and the new crew we saw scattered on the floor." She scoffed. "They tried too hard to impress everyone. It's a shame. I have seen them practice, they had potential." Shepard fell silent and turned to look over the edge.

"Hm. The next two-ish, maybe three or even four, teams will have known this, and rushed in at the same time, thinking the path is opened up. They take care of eachother, if we are lucky. If a strong team was smart, they would-"

Before the elevator could reach the bottom, it screeched to a sudden halt with sparks shooting from the grinding gears. Wrex stumbled into Shepard who slammed into the now ajar door, immediately drawing fire from cover on the floor of the open room. Kaidan pulled her from the opening and all four of them crouched taking cover inside the elevator.

"There are some heat signatures at the base here, Captain." Kaidan reported. Joker snorted, _'Obviously!'_ Shepard signaled to Garrus who tossed his Mantis Rifle to her, Joker could tell that it was well practiced. She docked the barrel in the corner of a window and slowly peered over the ledge through the scope. Joker, seeing through her eyes, barely saw a flash of what was below before another shower of bullets tore through the wall behind her and ricocheted off the window frame. She ducked back down quicker than lightning.

"It's the Shock Sentinels. Or most of them anyways. Shala'Raan has stocked her team with Quarians with extraordinarily high tech scorers. Professionals, almost. I recognize some of them from my lists of potentials for the Titans. Most if not all have done engineering work or hacking for the Quarian Military, before being recruited to CITA. They must have hacked into the lift system. Luckily for us, none of them are that strong of combat fighters. Wrex, Kaidan, if we go in quick, strong, and up close, they won't stand a chance." She let out a low whistle that resonated through the comms. "Good thing I got to Tali first, or we would have a real problem."

"Jeez, Cap, you got all that from a glance?"

"Impressed, Flyboy?" She laughed. For some reason, her words rang familiar. _'Flyboy?'_ "There is a platform about 8 feet down, we are going to have to jump. As soon as we pass through the door, they are going to start firing on us. Don't get hit and move yourselves to the shallow cover of railings on the left." Her companions just nodded. "Garrus, set up here and utilize the vantage point they so generously created for us. There are three across the field, behind a pile of crates, and a turret. 238 yards. Can you take them?" Joker grinned at the low growl that emanated from him, accompanied by a deep laugh from the massive Krogan. "Alright, alright don't look at me like that."

She then continued to tell Wrex and Kaidan that as soon as he senses a lull in the enemy fire they were to storm in hot but out of sight from the snipers and the turret until Garrus takes them out. Both of them hooked their weapons onto their armor for their jump and Garrus rolled over to Shepard's position by the window taking his gun back, attracting some enemy fire.

"Ready boys?" Shepard asked. Garrus notched his rifle in the window frame and Wrex pounded his fists together with a menacing grin...

Shepard slowly paced in front of the barrier separating them from the beacon. They easily neutralized the Shock Sentinels, but were halted by an unexpected force field dividing the large open room and another smaller room. The beacon was floating there lazily, silently taunting any team that got this far. They had been stuck there like sitting ducks for a while, while Garrus fidgeted with the wires connected to the wall.

"Captain, just letting you know, Tali and Williams are checked in, back on the Normandy."

"Sounds good, Joker thanks for the update." She froze her pacing and tilted her head sighing. "Hey Joker, ask Tali if she can try hacking this security field."

"I am here Captain Shepard." Tali spoke through the connection to her armored suit's helmet. "I have been trying to get in- but the system is a mess. The Sentinel's previous attempts locked up and tangled the coding. The facility will probably have to change their security systems with all the damage that has been done. Oh, and the Sentinel's were not the first ones to try and get in. Another team with an even more rudimentary understanding of the coding used has attempted a purge of the system. It failed. Keep an eye out, they cannot be far. I don't think I will be able to get in now even if I was there with you. Maybe if I had an industrial T98 prototype frequency jammer I-"

Shepard was distracted by a heavy mass of scales and muscle pushing past her and charging towards the blue glowing barrier.

"Aughhhhh-"

"Wrex, STOP!"

But it was too late. The Krogan threw himself heavily against the wall with a great roar, trying to break it down with sheer strength. With a shock and flash of light, he was thrown back passing Shepard and over the balcony towards the solid ground below. He crashed into a large machine and rolled off the side, dazed and paralyzed. Joker was surprised that the pain from the shock and the fall didn't eliminate him. _'Or actually kill the moron.'_

"Wrex!" From the flat of his back, Wrex looked up to Shepard and Kaidan leaning over the rails. Joker skipped to Garrus' screen to see him almost doubled over in two-toned Turian laughter. "Are you okay?"

"It's nothing, Battlemaster."

"Are you sure?" She asked peering over the ledge.

He grunted. Her gaze lingered a moment later, until she saw that he could stand, and then refocused on the unchanged barrier.

"No wonder the Sentinel's were camped here. Sh-These students are all tech specialists, how are we going to figure it out if ALL of them couldn't?" Kaidan groaned sitting on some mined rubble. The rubble gave Joker an idea and he opened a private connection to Shepard.

"Captain!"

"Wah!" She jerked. Her teammates gave her strange looks, and she had to nod to show she was okay. "Jeez, Jeff! Don't do that!" _'Jeff? That's new'_

"Uh, Prodigy? If we are doing the first name thing…I guess that's not your name- whatever, But I will have you know, my friends call me Joker." He smirked when she shook her head and made a noise of discomfort.

"Sorry, what do you need, Moreau?" She replied instead.

"I, uh, need you to spin for me." There was a span of slightly uncomfortable silence between them.

"Why- what?"

"You wanted me for extra eyes, and I have a hunch. Spin?" He asked again when she sighed. "Trust me."

She let out an even breath and slowly started to spin in place, drawing strange looks from Wrex and Garrus. Garrus tilted his head in question and a slight rise and fall of her screen showed her clueless shrug. Joker focused as hard as he could on the screens in front of him, looking for the one thing that would keep him from looking like a complete idiot in front of, arguably, the best captain in CITA's history.

"Moreau-" she began exasperated.

"No, wait! There! Right in front of you. Do you see that?"

"Uh...The thing Wrex fell on?" She continued to spin.

"Ha!" He shifted in his seat and leaned back in his seat. "You know what it is?"

"Sure I do. It's a drill." _'Wait for iiiiiittt-'_ She froze and Joker could tell she just figured out the same thing he did when he saw the rubble. "It's a drill!"

"Yep." He grinned. Her gaze darted back to the wall where the barrier's controls were mounted. "There you go, Shepard. That's what I was thinking."

"Oh, Moreau you genius!" Even with the helmet, he could tell that she was beaming. She returned to a public channel. "All three of you, get away from the wall and take cover. Tali, can you get a long distance connection?"

"Charging now, Captain. Firing when ready." Tali's voice came smiling from right behind Joker's chair in the helm. Joker had no idea when she got there.

"Aim for the panel and cut as much power as you can to the barrier."

Whatever Joker was expecting to happen, it was much worse. And louder than he could imagine. As soon as the bright red beam struck the wall, Joker had to rip off his headset and almost fell out of his chair. The explosion reverberated was like a cannon going off, and even after he could refocus on the screens, his ears were ringing. All the screens in front of him were showing clouds of flame and rubble and the sound cut connection with Shepard or her crew. Rocks, dirt and piles of dust rained down across his cameras. All he was left with was white noise.

"Captain?...Captain Shepard?..." Just crackling feedback replied to him. _'I just killed Captain Shepard!'_

"Garrus?...Hey, Vakarian!...Oh, come ON Turian! Not you too!"

"Moreau? Recruit! Do you copy?"

"Oh, my- Copy, Captain!" He let out a deep sigh and let his forehead fall heavy on his control panel.

"I am flattered that you care so much, Joker." Garrus trilled through a weak, static filled connection.

"Only because Nora would kill me if I let you die, Bird-lizard!"

"Yeah, sure. She would obviously ditch you and realize her buried undying love for me."

"Alright boys, back to work." Shepard's comm crackled back.

"Yes, Captain." They replied in unison.

"I told you there was a weird Indiana Jones vibe coming off that beacon, Shepard!"

"Not helping Moreau!" She yelled back, barely audible through the blending orchestra of lockdown alarms and gunfire. As soon as she pulled the beacon from where it hovered in the cavern, the entire facility started to shut down and the four of them, now in possession of the beacon sprinted down a side corridor, barely slipping under a heavy metal containment door. Panting, they ran into a wide open room and were immediately pinned down behind a group of pillars. Garrus was unlucky, and had taken multiple hits in the leg and side for pushing Shepard to the side as soon as he heard the roar of the enemy team's Krogan Captain. He was leaning on Wrex, who was also hit on the side but because of the nature of his species was in less pain. Single fire was immediately joined by the rest of the enemy, waiting patiently for whoever got the signal out of the barrier to bring it straight to them. The door that leads to the outside, and to victory, was directly across from Shepard and her crew, and straight through the enemy.

"Moreau, we are going to need a pick up. I don't know where this entrance let's out. Tali, find us."

"Yes, Captain."

"On our way, Shepard!" Joker assured, decloaking the Normandy and powering up the engines.

"Kaidan, we are down our sniper and our wrecking ball. I need you to lay heavy fire so they can't move in on us. Not one inch closer." Joker heard her order over his comms.

Joker knew this was the moment when they needed him most, Tali told him they didn't have much time before the door closed and they were trapped. He tried to keep calm listening to the gunfire, trying not to focus on the fire and yelling in his ears, trying to imagine that this was just another simulation. In most of his simulations, it was quiet except for the artificial sounds of the ship he was controlling, and the occasional echo of Professor Solus singing outside the simulator. Joker tried to imagine the strangely calming, yet extremely hyper voice of the Salarian. He had kept his nerves in check the entire match so far, and he wouldn't lose it now. As soon as he found the facility, he could see where the rest of the Krogan captain's team had Shepard and the Titan's pinned down. He scanned his sensors for the ships of the other teams, but strangely found nothing. Circling above Shepard again he prepared to speak then his voice caught in his throat.

"Uh, Captain...Shepard, I am right outside but the door is closing it lets out to a balcony and then to some scaffolding. Looks like construction isn't finished, you'll need to find a different way out."

"Not an option, Moreau. How close can you get?"

"There may be a hallway back behind your po- wait what?!" Joker froze.

"We will jump the gap between the edge of-" Joker watched from the ship as she rolled out from a pillar and covered Garrus and Wrex. "The scaffolding and the ship. Get as close as you can."

"Is she insane?" Ashley asked, running up to the cockpit, still in full armor.

"Captain, if we try to run we will get hit. We will loose the beacon. And the match. Besides, he can't .That is crazy!"

"Tali and Ashley can cover us from the ship, and he can, I know he can!" _'What's that supposed to mean?'_ There was a moment of radio silence, interrupted only by cross fire and alarms. "Joker?"

"I- I can do it Captain." He promised, sounding more confident than he felt. "You can trust me."

* _Lock down sequence at...93%*_

"I can do it, Shepard! You have to run now!"

"GO Now! I will cover you!"

"Captain-"

"That's an order, Alenko!" She commands as she shoves beacon in his hands. "Garrus, Wrex, Trojan horse Alenko!"

Wrex grabs Kaidan and Garrus covers the other side of him while the three of them run towards the now halfway closed door. They run up the ramp towards the sunlight with Shepard firing from behind and Ashley and Tali leaning out of the Normandy doors to help lay down cover fire as well. Shepard followed once they got through the door, but was hit in the leg by a stray bullet from one of the enemy Krogan assault rifles. She fell and rolled standing back up to run, but Joker could tell by her helmet camera that she was continuing with a heavy limp. On her way out she ducked under the door, almost entirely shut, and stabbed her knife into the door panel, leaving it there because of the heavy sparks. However, by now the door had large holes in it, and bullets were still getting through.

"Run Shepard!" Garrus yelled leaning out of the still wide open Normandy door, stray bullets flying around them... "Moreau, her leg- get as close as you can!"

Joker watches as she sprints towards them, and just as she tries her best to vault away from the scaffolding, he risks jolting the Normandy to the right for the slightest moment, practically scooping her out of the air.

"Joker! Go!" She yells into the comms. But she didn't need to. Joker watched what was happening through Alenko's cams and had already slammed the airlock closed. At the same time, he had been preparing the engines for a launch with the drive core, and within seconds, they were through the atmosphere of Therum and out of the gravity pull of the planet, rapidly streaming through space. There is a collective sigh through all of the comms, a moment of collective silence, and then Joker had to once again rip his earpiece out, this time because of the cheers and celebration of the still fully armored crew.

The crew cheers for a bit towards the front of the Normandy, near the airlock before leaning to take off their armor and get checked out in the Med bay. Also congratulating him and some patting his shoulder. He thinks he is finally alone, before being corrected by the light clang of armor boots on the metal ship floors, the skip and uneven sound telling him it was someone with a limp. Shepard.

"Hey, you know, next time, we could _not_ jump out over a 100 foot drop to a fiery inferno of death….just, food for thought." He suggests with a joking tone. Her laugh through her helmet shows that she understood and didn't take him too seriously.

"You are the one who promised to catch me, Flyboy." She simply replied, lightly tapping the tip of his cap again. She stares out of the front of the ship, watching the universe pass by for a few moments. "Thank you for catching me."

"Always, Captain." She lightly put her hand on his shoulder from behind him, before walking away, probably to clean up and get her leg healed.

"Let's go home." She replies.

 _KLMAGZ: So…. I am so, so sorry. I quit, and this is me un-quiting. There are no words for how bad I felt, but I just didn't feel it anymore…I even had this chapter almost completely finished. And then there were a few comments wanting me to continue,but I never saw them, but they recently inspired me, (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE ^-^) and I wanted to also, I have so many PAGES planned out… I will try so hard to keep going, I think I have reconnected with my momentum. I will try hard!_


	11. Chapter 11

A heads up, there is some violence here, not much but it is there.  
Sorry for the long break

Captain Shepard left Garrus to give the Titan's a quick debriefing of their match, but as nothing went too wrong, Joker was able to quickly return to his apartment, shower, and then left again with a very specific destination in mind. He knew that for his body's sake he should be resting right now, but it had been almost two weeks since he had seen Nora for more than a few moments at a time, with all their practices and studying, and he missed her too much.

Joker sat down gently on the bleacher rows inside Nora's large practice gym, trying not to interrupt the multiple skirmishes on the mats. Currently Nora was in the center of the ring with her opponent- the Drell that always seemed to cause her the most problems. She still trained the hardest with him because 'he was new, one of the best, and had a lot he could teach her'. Joker watched fascinated as the heel of her foot rocketed up towards his chin and if it were anyone else it would have been a hard strike. But the Drell was too fast, grabbing her ankle centimeters from his face and throwing it away, causing her to take a few steps back. He continued to critique, dodging her quick jabs. He paused to show her a twisting block that he used against her and she copied her, nodding her head as she walked through the steps. As she faked with one fist and tried to kick with the opposite leg, he spun her around and wrapped his arm around her front. "You must not let your opponent know the depth of your exhaustion. For I am afraid you have already lost this match."

She nodded and he let her go, instead of getting mad she just sighed and he gave her a slight bow. Joker waited for her to clean up and gather her things from the locker room before coming back into the practice room. She grabbed a small black duffle bag and a water bottle before waving to some of her teammates and heading for the exit. Joker stood up and cleared his throat before calling out to her.

"Hey, Blondie!" he called, smiling at the way her steps faltered. Her eyes grew and she scanned the room looking for him, recognizing the familiar nickname that had quickly become a personal term of endearment. Joker couldn't help but feel a warmth inside his stomach as her body noticeably relaxed.

"Jeff!" she laughs, darts over to him, throwing her arms around his neck while he leans on one crutch and pulls her close with his other arm. Joker took a moment to enjoy the way she let herself relax into his chest before he recognized that there were now people looking at them. Instantly he thought about all of the weird looks they were always given in the halls during school, and once again felt the pang of insecurity interrupt the moment. When they were in the busy areas of the Citadel, no one was paying attention enough to let their eyes linger on his help, but on campus he tried to hold back and avoid awkward moments for Nora. He had mentioned this to her before, after she asked him if he was reluctant because he was uncomfortable or unhappy. He insisted he had never been happier and they spent the rest of their night off holding hands once again in the Citadel gardens. He was still not used to the idea that someone else's interactions with him could be considered 'normal' and for her sake, he pulled away a bit with his head down. She noticed his movement and glanced back, then recognized what was wrong. Joker didn't expect her to pull herself back to his embrace, once again obliterating all of his insecurities and pulling his neck down and connecting their lips together in front of everyone with a smile. He reflectively pressed his head forward deepening the kiss for a moment, relishing in the moment once again. This time when he pulled away they were both smiling, interrupted by whistles from Nora's teammates. She blushed and hid her face in his neck, where Joker could still feel her smile.

"Ay! Okay! Leave me alone, you guys!"

"I guess that cat's out of the bag...How was your trip?" He asked her, holding her hand so she could pick up the things she dropped to hug him.

"It was… eventful." She said frowning a bit. "I should have done better. I made too many mistakes and we- I paid for it."

"Nora needs to relax her mind and her body. There is deep exhaustion in her spirit." Joker heard a gravelly yet light feminine voice approaching them. They both looked over to see a small female Drell stepping towards them. She seemed familiar to Joker, and he realized why when Nora's previous opponent walked over and gently wrapped his arm around her waist.

"You two fight each other, right? -I have seen you both at Nora's matches." Joker questioned slowly. Both looked at Joker and he felt a little uneasy, like the two Drell were trying to judge his worthiness for their friend and teammate by looking through his eyes into his soul. At the same time it was refreshing to not be judged by the crutches, but maybe they were just used to seeing him around by now.

"Jeff, this is Thane Krios, my current sparring partner, and Irikah Mylos, his fiancé. Thane recently transferred here to CITA, and Irikah still attends Academy on Kajhe." Nora explained. Joker just nodded to both of them warmly, as one arm was keeping him balanced on his crutch and the other he didn't want to release from Nora's hand yet. "Thane, Irikah, this is Jeff Moreau."

"Although we have noticed you before, it is nice to formally be introduced. As my Siha said, Ms. Anderson is quite tired, Mr. Moreau. As I am sure you are, after assuring a victory for Captain Shepard and her Titans. Congratulations are in order, Helmsman. Now please, rest and relaxation are what both of your spirits deserve for the time being."

"Yes, Sir!" Nora salutes lightly with two fingers and a small laugh. She grabs her things once again and turns to him. "Shall we?"

 _-Joker, Dude, you are on TV!_

 _-Moreau man! Never thought you had it in you!_

 _-Lucky break man!_

 _-Jeff, OH MY GOD. You are on TV, well, your voice is, and the ship… but they said it was you! - And, you met Shepard! What's she like? Is she really nice? Did she tell you who she was? OH MY GOD. You know who she is now, but you are sworn to secrecy, right!? Does she really go to CITA? Is she a real person? Do you have any classes with her? Of course you don't she's a fourth year...Can you get me an autograph? Aw you are so lucky! Love Hills_

 _-Dude! You are practically a Titan! Hey man, that Ashley chick as hot as she seems on camera? ;) Hook me up._

 _-By the way Jeffie, I might have accidentally mentioned your friend Nora to mom and dad… sorry! Hills_

 _-Jeffrey Moreau! Hilary has just showed us that you are at this very moment off in the galaxy getting shot at! Is this why you haven't called us? So help me, Child, if you get hurt and we need to fly all the way to the Citadel. Jeffery, we are so excited, the Mayor wants to have an entire celebration for bringing some pride to Tiptree...Also, Hilary told us you were friends with a girl called Nora? Why haven't you told us about her? Your father and I are so proud of you, but please be careful, Love Mom and Dad_

 _-Mr. Moreau, I have the chance to watch your piloting on CITA's battle broadcast. I am so glad our classes helped. I still remember a little nine year old boy in a wheelchair showing up for his first day of lessons. Casts and all! We are very proud of you here on Tiptree. Don't forget to message your mother, she always talks about you! Love Coach Aarons_

 _-Jesus Joker! If you scratched that ship Prodigy would have personally thrown you in the lava!_

 _-Jeff, Your mother and I are so glad, this could be your chance. Make friends with them, this team could become your family. And Hilary said you had a girlfriend? Your mother doesn't seem to be very happy she didn't hear it from you, Son. Good luck, we are proud no matter what happens. Love Dad_

 _-JEFFERY, WE ARE ALL SO PROUD OF YOU, CONGRATULATIONS- Mom and Dad_

 _-Jeffrey, when you have a break in your classes please visit! Love Mom_

 _-Mom says to call her. Hills_

 _-Jeff, call your Mother please. Dad._

Joker shook his head and smirked at the strangeness of his hometown. After leaving the practice gym, Joker and Nora chose to return to Joker's apartment. What used to be completely empty and too sterile- only furnished with kitchen essentials, a desk, and a bed (which he had to replace with one that didn't feel worse than one just laying on the floor)- was now a piece of home that Joker took a secret satisfaction in seeing. He didn't like big open rooms and clean houses; he liked clutter and organized chaos of places that reminded him of his passions, flying and Tiptree. He removed the 'too clean' hospital vibe with textbooks books and papers and printed flight analogs and other personal items stacked around with all the essentials and some extras. One of which was a big couch that fit snuggly in the corner. Nora liked to say that while Joker was her favorite thing in the apartment, the couch was a close second. She never liked to relax for too long, she said that she was so used to being busy that she forgot how to 'be normal and lazy'.

"Your family is so cute!" Nora cooed, wrapping her legs under her and carefully leaning in towards him while he read aloud some of his messages from the last few days during the match from his desk. They were not allowed outside contact during, so Joker had to sort through all his acquaintances, friends, and family congratulating him. Some even sent him a detailed play-by-play of the entire weekend. 'As _if I wasn't there the whole time..._ "Your mom really seems proud of you."

"You know how it is; she's just being a mom." He dismissed, flipping through more messages from Tiptree. But as soon as he realized what he said his hand froze. His face fell. He looked to her to see the quickest flash of sadness in her eyes. She was good at hiding it but he knew her too well to fall for it. No. She didn't know, she was adopted early in her life and wouldn't have remembered her mother that well. He mentally cursed himself. "Nora, I-"

"No, Jeff, it is okay. It was a long time ago."

"Nora please, I am sorry." He sighed, taking her hand in his. "I wish I could have met your family."

"So do I. I wish I remembered more of them. I can still remember some small things. Super silly things, my mother and father treated everyone like they were family. Everyone gathering after the long days of harvesting and work. There were flowers that grew there too. Really tall sunflowers, and we would all have our toy planes flying through the rows. And when it rained all of us kids would go out and run through the trees across the fields. We used to climb up in the trees and play games where we would hide from each other. I once fell out of a tree and broke my wrist. We would all get cold and soaked, and then find the nearest one of our houses to warm up and dry our clothes near the fire. Everyone was so close to each other. There were so many people that loved me, and raised me. I wonder what they would think of me now after everything..."

"After what?"

"I… I don't know. Besides, David is my family now. And Garrus and the Ti-" She paused and closed her eyes. "Um, and the members of my team….You know, Jeff, I need to tell you something."

"Yeah?"

"I-"

* _knock knock knock*_

"Sorry, Just a minute, Blondie." He sighed, slowly standing up. He made his way to his door and opened it to find one of his neighbors that he shared a class with. He had knocked on Joker's door a few days ago, claiming to have seen him in a lecture before, with some story about losing his bag and asking to borrow Joker's textbook.

"Oh, hey...um..." Joker mumbled, grabbing the book form his outstretched hands.

"Wull'Lellenu Allonu Nar Soyyu." The Quarian bowed slightly.

"Uh right...well..." Joker replied beginning to close the door. "Thanks for bringing it back. I guess I will see you around, um… Will."

"Wait! Recruit Moreau I-"

"Joker."

"My apologies. Joker I wanted to express my congratulations on such advanced flying during the final moments of the match. Many of us were all watching in the cantina and everyone was cheering very loud when you saved Captain Shepard's life!"

"I didn't really save anyone's life, I just flew the ship." Joker replied, a little uncomfortable but also a little flattered.

"Well it was very impressive. Rest easy knowing you have become quite an instant icon around campus- if not just around the other flight students. Now, do not worry, I am sure you are quite busy. What is it you humans say? 'I will see you in another time in the future?' Hahaha!" The young Quarian then bounced away, leaving a very confused pilot at his front door, jaw open.

"Uh, thanks. For the heads up, William." He called shaking his head. He slowly shut the door, finally letting it hit him that the entire student body of his school would have been watching the events of the passed days. If he continued to fly for Shepard, he might get what he wanted in the first place. _'What I want is-'_ Joker turned around to freeze on his way back to the couch. On the couch was a very beautiful, but very asleep Nora. She had curled up in the corner of the couch when Joker left; knees pulled up close to her chest as well as pulled one of Joker's discarded jackets over her shoulders. He remembered the words the Drell told him about how tired she was, even trying to hide it, and imagined how much sleep she would have lost in the last few days. _'Her tournaments must be so tiring..."_ he sighed.

Joker pulled one of the blankets off his bed and leaned over to cover her, but was stopped short and could feel his heart constrict. While curling up on the couch, her shorts had pulled up to the middle of her thigh and. three huge welts were exposed trailing down to her knee, so bruised they were almost an inky black. He ghosted his hand over them, without touching her, _'What the hell? What did she fight that did this?'_

He sighed again frustrated, covered her up, and rubbed his hand through his hair. Why was he so upset? He knew that she could handle this kind of thing, was probably used to it, but she still pretended that she was fine, without even a trace of showing pain. She even returned to practice with this, not going to the medic to get it treated. Joker wouldn't even had noticed it if she hadn't fallen asleep. He didn't understand why he so strongly wished that she would tell him when this kind of thing happened. Wasn't he supposed to take care of her now that they were- _'Now that we are what?'_

He sat lightly on the table in front of her, leaning in to brush some of her hair out of her face. He allowed himself to run his thumb across her cheek. He could not understand how she had made such a difference in his life, made him such a different person, himself but motivated and better. And so quickly. She was so good. The only thing he could do was wait for her to be comfortable admitting weakness and pain. He reminded himself that she had grown up taking care of herself, just as much as he had grown up keeping to himself.

He looked one more time to make sure that she was covered, and moved to his desk to do some left over schoolwork. Nora didn't like wasting time, so he would wake her up soon, but for now he wanted her to know that she could be home somewhere- even if it was on his couch.

 _Recruit Jeffery "Joker" Moreau_

 _Three days from now is the Citadel Annual Multi-Academy Battle Competition Conference. Crews from CITA as well as academies from other systems will be required to attend and as the returning champions of CITA. As the White Titans are still seeking out a permanent replacement for recruit Jenkins, We would like to request your temporary escort once again to travel with us in the Normandy to the Citadel, as well as join us in our activities as acting pilot as much as you are willing. As the returning champions, we will be giving a panel as well as some promotional activities directed towards both CITA as well as the 'White Titans'. You will not be required to participate in the promotional photos and greetings, but will be required to attend a dinner with the officials of the Battle Program and Broadcasting Executive, as well as the sponsors and offered a seat in the panel interview as a step in for our resident Helmsman. This is also a great opportunity for you to meet recruiters and officials of Citadel military branches._

 _The conference will last for two days, and we will be staying in a loft loaned by a CITA professor and Titan sponsor, who at this time would like to remain anonymous. Please respond with your availability for us to be able to finalize our boarding plans our find a replacement._

 _Captain "Prodigy" Shepard._

Seas of people had flocked to the Citadel for the coming events, Joker once again couldn't believe how much his life had changed in the few days that started with a Krogan breaking into his apartment and ended up with him here; security surrounding them while they pushed passed crowds of people trying to get photos of the Titans, and any other crews that showed up. Over the last few decades of televised battle matches, the best crews were treated more and more like celebrities, idols even. People were surrounding them with holo posters and signs and cameras, pushing each other to get closer. The Titans were commanded for security reasons to not leave their borrowed apartment space without the permission of Headmaster Udina, who was in attendance of the conference for publicity while leaving CITA in the hands of Nora's father, Professor Anderson. When Joker asked why, he was informed that each year there were people that tried to bribe, threaten, or hurt members of Battle Crew members, whether it was for the progression of their own favorite team, or even worse were those that tried to directly take out the future lead soldiers of Interspecies Galactic military units. Everyone he associated with while he was in the presence of the Titans would graduate and be recruited into the highest rankings of the Military. Even he would one day pilot a ship in real life-or-death situations. It was hard for him to visualize the people he was slowly growing to be close to in the conditions he watched on the news while rehabilitating from surgeries.

They finally made their way to the cars and were speeding through the citadel trying to avoid any incident. Because having Joker with them made 7, they were split into two cars, with Joker, Wrex, and Garrus with Shepard and the rest in another. All seemed fine until the car pulled sharply off the path and into an alley that Joker could only assume wasn't where they were supposed to be, as the three crew members tensed up and started glancing at each other.

"What's-" Joker began but was cut off by Captain Shepard gently nudging his foot in a call for silence.

Joker removed his belt and started to reach for the crutches lying across the floor when a metal hand gently pushed his shoulder down and he relaxed back into his seat. Once again, Shepard lifted her finger up to her helmet signaling him to stay quiet, but unlike the time she was hiding snacks, there was no looseness in her shoulders, and a tension in her stance. He simply nodded. The three guards facing the door unloaded first, followed by the Krogan and Garrus and last Shepard. There was an eruption of noise and yelling. Joker froze in place until the sounds stopped, replaced with some muffled voices- obviously arguing between the Captain, Garrus and another voice he couldn't recognize. He moved to the floor as quietly and carefully as he could, slowly peering around the corner as far as he dared without revealing himself. They were indeed in a little alleyway, with a hidden parking area big enough for two more cars to be parked but hidden from the main road. But what made Joker freeze in place was that Shepard and Wrex both stood with their hands on their heads. The fake guards training their weapons at them. Garrus on the other hand was on his knees facing them, an arm wrapped around his neck and the barrel of a pistol pressed against his temple.

"-must admit, Turian, hanging around with a bunch of by-the-rule Five-0's is not where I expected to finally find her. Tsk, tsk. You have no idea the resources I used to connect my sweetheart to the very famous _icons_ standing in front of me...You know, I barely remember you, and then ironically you end up as the reason I… finally…. find her. You were never far behind her back then were you? I should have realized three years ago you would still be keeping an eye on her, not letting her roam to far away from your _perfect_ voice of reason stealing her away from me... And even more surprising, now she's friends with the pure-hearted _Captain Shepard_ of all people... Makes you wonder doesn't it? What if she's still following in my footsteps, schmoozing connections in the high ranks -"

"She is nothing like you!"

"HA! Yes she is. She has simply strayed from her path. My sweetheart was only 15 and together we almost planned genocide. Imagine what she could coordinate of now? And with the resources she may have now... _Ms. Shepard's resources at her fingertips_ … Our mutual friend lived a life of sneaking behind the back of one of the most powerful men in the Citadel for years. At 13 you left her and I was there to shape her into the best planner the Reds ever had. But you had to come back and STEAL HER AWAY! MAKING HER GIVE UP ALL OUR SECRETS FOR REPENTANCE! And now she just plays chase with toy guns all day at the Academy? And goes to class, like she could _ever_ be a normal person? After everything she did? How quaint...Damn, What a wasted potential. Tell me does her daddy know I found you out weeks ago? You two can't protect my pet forever. With the missing files of her plans you stole back...we could have decimated the entire Batarian species! Isn't that what she wants?"

"No." Garrus replied, his voice shaking with anger. "Creating those plans was a mistake, a hypothetical! She was angry, and knows what she almost did was unforgivable! The Batarians are not at fault for what happened. It was just a group of bad people, every species has bad people! The Reds, you, the person she used to be! You can't hold an entire species accountable for the mistake of a few. She told me everything about you! You are Finch, aren't you? Please, you have to forgive them, Finch! Councilman Udina will be here soon. You can tell what you know to the Council, and you can have a second chance, just like she did!"

"A second chance? Is that what she calls her life? Hiding behind a mask of innocence whenever she leaves her front door? Lying? What a pretty girl she grew up to be, so sweet. Should I tell you all, her 'friends' here exactly how she really gained her _special_ skill set?"

"We are her family and we already know everything."

"And what about him?" The man finally took his eyes of Garrus for the first time and looked to where Joker was. He tried to take a step back but was blocked by another fake guard. "Yes, I know her new toy is in there, I did my homework. As far as I can see he's new to the little Shepard _family."_

"Leave him out of it!" Shepard spoke in a demanding voice for the first time, and it awarded her the butt of a rifle to her helmet.

"Shut it, Robot Bitch! This has nothing to do with you!"

The man cleared his throat after the moment of anger. And turned to Joker. The man's grin made Joker's blood run cold. "Hmm. Pity if he found out the truth about his new girlfriend? How much has my dear, dear Nora told you about the few years she lived on the Citadel, alone, without _her Daddy and big brother Garrus to keep her out of trouble?"_

"FINCH STOP!"

"Wh- What are you talking about?" Joker stuttered. _'This is all about Nora?'_

"Obviously nothing then. How predictable. Well, like you said, Turian, time is running out, Turian. Tell me where the council keeps her plans for X57. I know they are still tracking the Asteroid. All I want is the files, and I will never bother her or you again. If not, a bullet through the skull."

"Nora deleted those files when she cut ties with the Reds. She won't help you anymore."

"You are lying, I know it! Just-" But the rest of his sentence was drowned out by a swarm of C-SEC cars and private security drones flooding the alley. The next few minutes flashing by in a blur. Joker watched the coward of a man drop his weapon immediately and throwing his hands up in fear of all the weapons now trained on him. Everything was chaotic as the security swarmed in to take custody of the man, and from one of the private security cars, Joker watched as none other than Headmaster Udina rushed out to grab Shepard.

"Maxwell Finchley, You are under arrest for attempted kidnapping, as well as multiple counts of attempted government hacking and petty gang violence." An overhead radio voice announced from one of the cars. While the man was read his rights, he was also screaming at Garrus' back as they were pulled away from him while he was cuffed.

"I COULD TELL EVERYONE EVERYTHING ABOUT THAT LITTLE ORPHAN HICK! EVERY DIRTY SECRET-" Through the security ushering them all away from the scene, Joker could still see slivers of what was happening. Shepard pulled away from Udina's grasp and ran back to the hysterical man, slamming her armored body into his between the officers holding him up, both of them falling to the dirty ground. She was immediately straddling him and repeatedly slamming her metal fists into his jaw. And even over the sounds of ushering and security chatter, he heard the very familiar sound of bones breaking. Captain Shepard had broken his jaw and from the way his head fell to his side, knocked him unconscious. Even then she didn't relent, white armor slowly running red. Joker didn't know what to think. Under the seemingly unbreakable control, this man who knew and threatened Nora had turned Shepard feral.

She didn't stop until Garrus and Wrex both pulled free of their guards as well and ran to pull her off.

"Shepard STOP! You will kill him!" She struggled and thrashed around in Garrus' hold until she exhausted herself. Garrus held her with her back pressed against him and his arms wrapped around her middle. It seemed that he was supporting her weight entirely, her legs had given out and she dropped her head shoulders shaking.

"Vakarian we need to leave. Get her under control and into the transport!" Udina commanded sharply. The Turian hissed and bared his teeth. "Now!"

Garrus leaned to wrap an arm under her knees and picked her up. Joker was knocked out of his haze when the Turian walked passed him leaning down to whisper into his ear.

"Don't leave, and don't believe a word Councilor Udina is about to say to you. I will explain as much as I can in the apartment. Stay there."


End file.
